Even though the UCLA men’s basketball season began just about three weeks ago, the Bruins will begin Pac-12 play tonight when they host the Colorado Buffaloes at Pauley Pavilion.
Tad Boyle’s squad comes into Pauley tonight with an identical 6-1 record as the Bruins. Of course, the difference here is that the Buffs have played a significantly easier schedule so far than UCLA.
In fact, the toughest team that the Buffs have played prior to tonight was Stanford, whom they beat at home on Sunday, 80-76.
Starting Five
Colorado is led by senior forward Evan Battey. Battey is the Buffs’ biggest scoring threat. He’s averaging 14.9 points per game this season while shooting 63.1% from the field and an amazing 72.7% from behind the arc. Against the Cardinal on Sunday, he put up a career-high 22 points.
Sophomore guard Keeshawn Barthelemy is second on the team in scoring so far this year. He’s averaging 14.6 points per game, giving the Buffaloes a 1-2 punch with Battey. He didn’t see much action against the Bruins last season. He played only three minutes of Colorado’s home game against the Bruins and played just 14 minutes at Pauley, scoring six points.
Sophomore forward Jabari Walker is the third Buffalo averaging in double figures. His average of 13.9 ppg isn’t far off Battey and Barthelemey and he also is the team’s top rebounder with 9.3 boards per game.
Senior Elijah Parquet will start at the other guard spot for Colorado. Parquet was an All-Pac-12 defender last season, who averages 7.4 ppg and 2.6 rebounds per game. He leads the team in blocked shots with seven while being tied with Battey and Barthelemy for the team lead in steals with seven as well.
The final Colorado starter is Tristan da Silva. The sophomore from Munich, Germany is averaging 8.9 points per game and 3.6 rebounds. He saw limited action against UCLA last season, playing just three minutes at Pauley and nine minutes at home. He made the most of his limited minutes in Boulder by scoring seven points in those nine minutes.
Outlook
Tad Boyle always has the Buffs prepared to play. If UCLA shows up like they did against UNLV, the Bruins should win, but if they brought that Vegas funk home with them, it could be a long night for UCLA.
Listen to the Game With TMB!
TuneIn.com now has UCLA’s games listed as “premium” content. So, rather than using TuneIn, you can just listen through the official website like we have done wioth the small sports for a long time in order to listen to Josh Lewin and Tracy Murray call today’s game, but why would you want to? Yes, you guessed it! National treasure Bill Walton is working the game tonight with Ted Robinson on the Pac-12 Networks. How could you not want to listen to Big Red? Just be sure to right-click on it so that you can open up another tab and have it going while you chat in the comments below. Listen to today’s game online.
In the meantime, here’s how to watch today’s game:
This is your Colorado Buffaloes at #5 UCLA Bruins game thread.
#5 UCLA Men’s Basketball (6-1, 0-0)
Opponent: Colorado Buffaloes (6-1, 1-0)
Series Record: UCLA leads, 14-7
When: 6:30 pm PT, Saturday, December 1, 2021
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
TV: Pac-12 Networks National, Los Angeles, and Mountain with Ted Robinson and Bill Walton
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Interesting stats so far are FG% (55 to 37), Pts off TOs (15 to 2), Pts in the Paint (24-10), and assists (10-4). Just a great all-around game by our Bruins
I tuned in to the end of game and thought the game was still in the first half. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. LOL
Loving Stong as the honorary captain!
I'm pretty sure it's westbrook that's the captain haha
Hello! You are right! They are chanting we want Westbrook. Thanks for the correction. I do have a soft spot for Stong TBH.
clap clap! C!
L
A!
wow, Buffs can't buy a basket!
Solid start by our Bruins, up 9-4 at the first commercial time-out
We really need Riley's prowess on offense. Both Nwuba and Johnson are too tentative, not going up strong under the basket.
Great assist!
Johnson came to play today!
Myles looking quicker tonight.
I gotta think a second team coming off the bench of Johnson, Jules, and Clark would be incredibly strong. Rather see Watson start than Jules
I need Myles to be hungrier under the basket-- he needs to post up, back up his defender into the basket
I love how the announcers call Buffs a strong rebounding team when they just got called for pushing off for a board LOL
Uh oh.. Jaime hit the ground hard there. On the ground with trainers around him. Hope he's okay!
Walking off with minimal assistance, but he looks not so good... a lil woozy
We certainly should be able to win this game without him
C'mon, Jaime!
clark taking Jaime's place atm
C'mon, motor mouth Walton!
For the folks at home :-) Battie's already sitting with two fouls, just seven minutes into the game
Great look by Tyger, passing Myles open under the basket
Myles' feet look so much better!
Jaime back from locker room; sitting on bench now
Johnson has the advantage inside. Why is Tyler putting up bricks and charging fouls?
Shooting 3s to extend the D and help our inside game
Interesting; Battey back in the game with 2 fouls; a decision that could totally bite the Buffs in the ass!
Jules lucky not to be called for a charge!
LOLOL Colorado ass bitten!!
i.e. 3 fouls now on Battey!! :-)
3 on Battey!
CLARK!!!
Jules from downtown!
Bernard from behind the arc!
Don't agree with that charging call on Clark before the timeout
that bar is set soooo low that I doubt I would notice incremental improvements
LOL
Jaime might be done for the night according to BRO twitter account
LIke Bruin Gold said down thread, no reason to risk hurting him by playing him this game
Love having Singleton coming off the bench :-)
Just replayed it-- totally weak-ass call on Nwuba!! -_-
Dammit, Myles, you gotta finish on the put-backs!
If at first you don't succeed, Tyger....
UCLA utterly dominating at the half, 39-23 going into the locker room (and that's largely without Jaime!)
Bruins moving their feet well on defense. Rotations look good.
Interesting stats so far are FG% (55 to 37), Pts off TOs (15 to 2), Pts in the Paint (24-10), and assists (10-4). Just a great all-around game by our Bruins
four unanswered by Buffs
six
We needed that bucket
Myles getting it done on both ends for us!
Nice 3 by Tyger :-)
Tyger!
Love that goal-tending by Nwuba!! Keep sending it!!
4 on Battey!
and 3 on Walker. Their best players will have to sit for a long stretch
wow! Buffs got it down to single digits, 47-38, 12 to go in game
We stopped running the offense. Poor shot selection recently.
Not good
Myles is as good as we've seen him.
COVID protocol postponed the Udub/AZ bball game tonight
7 point game
WTF Bruins crashing
outscored 18-9 this half
Myles 0-2 from the charity stripe -_-
Good foul by Myles, preventing the dunk