How bad was Thursday’s loss to Utah? Dylan Andrews led UCLA with just nine points. (Photo Credit: Jan Kim Lim/uclabruins.com)
Thursday night’s 46-point loss goes down as the second-biggest loss in UCLA history. It was worse than 2014’s 83-44 loss to Kentucky, though that game will still be infamous for the worst half of basketball in Bruin history. The only loss UCLA has ever suffered that was worse than the beating they took on Thursday night came against Stanford back on January 9, 1997 when the Bruins lost 109-61 in the “Maples Massacre.”
The good news is that Thursday’s game was so bad that it has to get better today.
I would hate to be the Huskies this afternoon.
Hopefully, the Bruins were so embarrassed by the other night’s fiasco that they come out angry this afternoon and pound the hell out of Washington. Though, personally, I wouldn’t recommend anyone go bet the house on that.
Washington comes into today’s game having won their last two games after they lost their first three Pac-12 games of the season. The Huskies did actually beat Gonzaga by five at home in Seattle in early December.
On the plus side, Washington has beaten the Bruins just eight times in Westwood since 1936. Will this afternoon’s game become the ninth Husky win?
Let’s look at Mike Hopkins’ probable starting five.
Starting Five
The Huskies bring a very experienced team with them on their final Pac-12 trip to Westwood. Four of the team’s five probable starters are graduate students and all five of them started their college basketball careers elsewhere. Such is the state of college basketball.
The Huskies are led by forward Keion Brooks. Brooks is in his second season in Seattle after transferring from Kentucky. He leads the team with an average of 20.6 ppg. He is the team’s best three-point shooter among guys who have taken at least 22 three-point attempts. He’s shooting 43.1% from beyond the arc. But he isn’t just an outside guy. Brooks is also Washington’s leading rebounder with an average of 7.2 per game.
The other starting forward for Washington is grad transfer Moses Wood, who joined the Huskies this year after playing at Tulane, UNLV, and Portland the past two seasons. Wood is Washington’s third-best scorer with an average of 11.1 ppg.
Guard Sahvir Wheeler joined Washington this season after starting his collegiate career at Georgia and playing at Kentucky the past two seasons. He’s the second-best scorer on the Huskies with an average of 15.8 ppg. His 99 assists leads the team leader and, in fact, totals more than the next two guys combined. He also has 15 steals, which is the second-most on the team.
Grad transfer Paul Mulcahy comes to Washington from Rutgers. Mulcahy’s average of 5.9 ppg is the second-worst among the Husky starters, but he is ranked third on the team in steals with ten and he has the second-most assists with 59.
Senior center Braxton Meah is in his second season in Seattle after starting at Fresno State. Meah is only averaging 4.0 ppg and 12.9 minutes per game, but he did score ten points against Arizona State in 31.4 minutes on Thursday night.
Speaking of Thursday’s game, sophomore guard Koren Johnson was the only Husky reserve to play more than nine minutes against the Sun Devils. He scored nine points in 25.5 minutes.
Washington’s three other reserves totaled just two points in a combined 18 minutes of play.
Analysis
While Washington doesn’t seem to be a competitor for the conference title this year, I can’t get past the experience of the Huskies’ starters. I don’t think the youthful Bruins will be much of a match to those starters.
Personally, while I expect Washington to beat the Bruins for just the ninth time in Westwood since 1936, it shouldn’t be any worse than Thursday’s loss to the Utes.
Listen to the Game With TMB
This afternoon’s game will be on Pac-12 Networks with Roxy Bernstein and Don MacLean calling the game. If you prefer, you can listen to Josh Lewin and Tracy Murray. 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.
This is your UCLA men’s basketball vs. Washington Huskies game thread. Here’s how to watch, listen and stream tonight’s game:
UCLA Men’s Basketball (6-10, 1-4)
Opponent: Washington Huskies (10-6, 2-3)
Series Record: UCLA leads, 107-43.
When: 4:00 pm PT, Sunday, January 14, 2024
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
TV: Pac-12 Networks National, Los Angeles and Washington with Roxy Bernstein and Don MacLean
Thanks again for supporting The Mighty Bruin. Your paid subscriptions make this site possible. Questions, comments, story ideas, angry missives and more can be sent to @TheMightyBruin on Twitter.
UCLA sports is going to have the saddest era in history when we enter the BIG. Jarmond is quickly cementing himself as perhaps the worst AD in UCLA lore.
Well when you factor in that it took damn near $8 million and that Washington has no state income tax (over $1 million tax on that in california), I don't think he was an option. I frankly don't think we would be able to pay pay him the $6 million chip is getting right now when you factor in Chip's buyout and Fisch's $5.5 million buyout owed to Arizona. That's the main reason not to fire Chip this year.
Hi Bruin Fam!!! Great to be with you all tonight! Things got a bit hectic in the postgame thread after the loss to Utah. But happy to be with my frens this eve! 💙💛
I fell bad for the on-air and production people. They've always been pretty good. Hope they find spots with the networks that are gonna be carrying all the new games. (well, not BSPN. That place is evil)
I watched the KC game last night on streameast; you may try that one. Don't sign up for anything; just keep hitting the button to stream and it'll happen
And doing a really good job of getting the ball to the post/to the interior of the 2-3 zone in scoring positions for Bona and Berke - all the more impressive given that we aren't exactly a team that can force them to extend by shooting the lights out!
Grr. Still no video. I knew I was signing a deal with the devil getting in bed with Comcast just so that I could get UCLA games, but I at least expected the sex to be good. Ah well. Maybe Pac-12 Network will get is stream up at some point today. Listening on radio with many of you now. Go Bruins!
Someone stop me before I watch again!
I hear you. Looks like our Women's Team also forgot how to shoot over at Galen.
Hey, Tamara! Quite an inauspicious beginning to our men's game...
Truly strange 😞
In other sorta not really relevant news concerning our opponent today - Jedd Fisch is going to UDub so I guess he wasn't so "off the table" after all
UCLA sports is going to have the saddest era in history when we enter the BIG. Jarmond is quickly cementing himself as perhaps the worst AD in UCLA lore.
Well when you factor in that it took damn near $8 million and that Washington has no state income tax (over $1 million tax on that in california), I don't think he was an option. I frankly don't think we would be able to pay pay him the $6 million chip is getting right now when you factor in Chip's buyout and Fisch's $5.5 million buyout owed to Arizona. That's the main reason not to fire Chip this year.
That's the _only_ reason not to fire Chip this year.
Fixed.
fair. deal with it in 12 months when we are flush with cash.
We def need that B10 money!
Speaking of throw away seasons 😔
watch him surprise us and do just enough to stick around for another season.
Ok, that said while having a whole section of Pauley to myself...
U!
Clap clap clap
C! Clap Clap Clap!
L! Clap! Clap! Clap!
A! Clap Clap Clap!
U! C! L! A! Fight! Fight! Fight!
Looks to be a light crowd here. Expect a packed in zone from the Fuskies.
Did the Trogan throw a forearm shiv at our players? Yup! Confirmed on replay. Typical trogan trash
💯
And another cheap shot. Damn, Trogans gotta trogan, I guess smdh
BTW Didn't see why our player got the intentional foul, when I saw no physical contact made by our Bruin (but tons made by the trogan).
Hi Bruin Fam!!! Great to be with you all tonight! Things got a bit hectic in the postgame thread after the loss to Utah. But happy to be with my frens this eve! 💙💛
Good evening, Tamara!
Hi G!!!
Stef for the first 2!
A few minutes late but I’m here. Just can’t stay away…
Hi bruin mama
Hey there!
Hi Bruin Mom! 💙💛
Hey, BMom!
Glad you're here!
We know the feeling. Good evening, Bruin Mamma!
Hi bruins, I’m going to be in and out tonight. But hopefully we don’t play like we did against Utah.
Too many turnovers
Does anyone want to tell me who Jan Vide is?
He is a member of the UCLA Basketball team 🤣
That is true😆😆🤣🤣
A turnover after a time out…wow
I actually love listening to Josh and Tracy - their analysis is great!
Yup that’s where I am!
Women lost to suc 😞
Meh we'll have the answer when they come to Pauley. It's Just$C, after all :-)
We already beat them in Pauley a couple weeks back. We may see them again in the P12 tourney.
Gotcha! Thanks for the correction, Greg!
Anyone else trying (and failing) to watch via the Pac12 Now app?
Not me. Just listening to J & T.
Same
try youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zrJ_t2sIsE
Thanks, Evan. That's working well!
YouTube has saved me a bunch of times when traveling
Wow, Nice form on that 3 by Berke!
Berke for three! After good D, too!
Nice post-up by Bona!
Nice muscling it in, Adem!
Wow! Bruins shooting 50% from 3!
And ahead in a game!
Miracles do happen 💙💛
Women’s team’s first loss today. Tough one for them.
Yes. I had a feeling they might lose this game. In the long run won't make much difference.
Good effort considering the team was sick all week.
Bona with the shut-down D!
Yay. Pac-12 app currently dead across all teams and streams. Anyone else have a link to watch anywhere?
At least Pac-12 network is officially in the archives next year.
I fell bad for the on-air and production people. They've always been pretty good. Hope they find spots with the networks that are gonna be carrying all the new games. (well, not BSPN. That place is evil)
I hope so too. Thanks for adding that perspective. True BSPN is pure Evil.
I watched the KC game last night on streameast; you may try that one. Don't sign up for anything; just keep hitting the button to stream and it'll happen
Kids are playing hard. BS about Mick losing the team is on hold.
Love to see tough play!
They are playing hard - happy for them!
And doing a really good job of getting the ball to the post/to the interior of the 2-3 zone in scoring positions for Bona and Berke - all the more impressive given that we aren't exactly a team that can force them to extend by shooting the lights out!
Great look by Berke!
UCLA Defense!!!
Bona and Fib!!!
So nice!
Nice move, Fib! Now do it some mores so I can learn to spell your name!
🤣🤣🤣
Berke, take the open shot!
What a move by Bona!!
Yo, Adem inside for 2!
Stefanovic just half a second slow on that defense
over the back
I like how confident Berke looks on offense
wish he woulda taken it to the hole on that last possession instead of passing it
I do believe he has great upside.
Too much happy feet
Grr. Still no video. I knew I was signing a deal with the devil getting in bed with Comcast just so that I could get UCLA games, but I at least expected the sex to be good. Ah well. Maybe Pac-12 Network will get is stream up at some point today. Listening on radio with many of you now. Go Bruins!
I watch the video with sound down and pipe in Lewin and Murray. Great combo IMO
Vide!!
For the record, these kids are not playing like their coach has lost them....
he hasn't. thats always just been the speculation of the sky is falling crowd.
Just felt that it needed to be said again...
and i also had you mixed up with that baskets guy or i wouldnt have even commented
Vide!!!
Viva Vide!
Looks like they’re actually not afraid to shoot this game. Maybe Mick made a promise not to pull players for missing shots.
Great point.
Whatever was said, we definitely look better on offense.
He doesn’t pull for missing shots. He did pull Mack for not boxing out. Andrews for turning it over…again. And for taking bad shots.
He did pull Bona when he got his second foul, but so far that hasn't affected the game
He pulls everyone that gets 2 in the first half. Mack is sitting for the same reason.
Oh, it's the right call! Just trying to explain why he sometimes sits players...
Nwuba!!
50% from the field and 50% from the arc and what 75% from the stripe. Love to see those stats!
I swear, Berke took over when Bona left the game; bodes well for future games
💯
Vide is looking pretty good!
Berke is stepping it up tonight!
McClendon to Stefanovic-- pretty!!
It is amazing what ball movement can do!
Stef for 3!
Send it, big man!!
oops LOL
Much rather have Vide bring it up over Andrews or McClendon