How To Watch, Game Preview and Game Thread: Prairie View A&M Panthers at #18 UCLA Bruins
The Bruins welcome the biggest HBCU in Texas back to Pauley Pavilion.
After Saturday’s comeback win over Arizona, the Bruins rose in both Top 25 polls to #18. The most interesting thing, however, is that at least five voters still don’t have a 9-1 team which beat a team which was in Top 10 on the road on their ballots at all! I stopped checking after I saw five voters, including two from Texas and one from 247Sports, didn’t have the Bruins in their Top 25 at all.) Well, the more UCLA keeps winning, the fewer that number will be moving forward.
Tonight, the Bruins get a non-conference cupcake at home before heading to New York City to face North Carolina at the Garden.
This evening’s game will be the fourth meeting between UCLA and the Prairie View A&M Panthers, and it’s the first since 2013. In that game, the Bruins easily defeated the Panthers, 95-71. The Panthers play in the SWAC and Prairie View A&M is one of just 11 HBCUs to “R2” status, meaning that the school is a doctoral university with high research activity. PVAMU is the second oldest public institution of higher learning in the state of Texas and it’s the largest HBCU in Texas and the third largest in the nation with almost 10,000 students. As far as famous alums go, Prairie View A&M has had numerous NFL players as well as Milwaukee Brewer great Cecil Cooper and talk show host Loni Love (formerly of The Real), but I pity the fool that doesn’t know that PVAMU’s most famous former student is Laurence Tureaud. That’s right, Mr. T himself attended Prairie View A&M.
This season has been a tough one so far for the Panther basketball team. It started off great as they defeated the College of Biblical Studies, 111-90. Since that win however, it’s been nine straight losses. That almost changed on Saturday when the Panthers lost to Loyola Marymount, 76-75.
In fact, the Panthers were up 75-74 with just two seconds to play when Will Johnston hit a buzzer-beating layup for the Lions to win the game.
The Panthers are led by ninth-year head coach Byron Smith. Before this season, Smith has compiled a 123-134 overall record as the team’s coach and a 94-56 conference record. He has won three conference regular season championships and one conference tournament title. He’s led the Panthers to the NCAA First Four once in 2019.
Starting Five
Smith’s starting five seems to be in a bit of flux which isn’t surprising at this time of the year. There are three players who have started all ten games for the Panthers. Not surprisingly, those three guys are the only ones averaging in double figures.
Junior Nick Anderson leads the team with an average of 19.0 ppg. He is also second on the team in rebounds with an average of 4.5 per game and he’s tied for lead in steals with 11.
Grad transfer Tanahj Pettway joined the Panthers after playing previously at New Mexico State. Pettway’s averaging 15.5 ppg and his ten steals has him one steal behind the three guys who are tied for the team lead. His 39.1% three-point percentage makes him the team leader for guys with at least 13 attempts and his field goal percentage is one of the best on the team at 50.5%.
Sophomore forward Marcel Bryant is the third Panther averaging in double figures with an average of 10.6 ppg and he leads the team in rebounds with an average of 5.1 per game. He leads the team in blocks with eight and is also tied with Pettway and John-Paul Ricks for the lead in steals with 11.
From there, it’s not clear who else will start for Smith. On Saturday against LMU, it was Ricks and sophomore forward Ryan Bolton, Jr., neither of which are very good offensive options. Ricks is averaging just 4.0 ppg while Bolton is averaging 1.6 ppg. Ricks does seem most likely to see significant time tonight since he played 30 minutes against the Lions. He is also second on the team in assists with 23. Bolton, on the other hand, only played six minutes. So, if he does start, he probably won’t be on the floor very long.
Grad transfer Jordan Tillmon will likely be the most productive player off the Panther bench. He’s averaging 8.5 ppg and he put up nine points against the Lions in just 14 minutes.
Keep an eye out for sophomore guard Orlando Horton, Jr., who played 19 minutes against LMU. He’s averaging 7.8 ppg, and when he shoots, he’s making 51.1% of his shots.
Analysis
The Bruins should easily put the Panthers away by halftime tonight. Even if they get caught looking past PVAMU, they should still win this game. It’s that simple really.
Listen to the Game With TMB
Tonight’s game will be on BTN with Kevin Kugler and Don MacLean calling the action. 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. Prairie View A&M game thread. Here’s how to watch, listen and stream today’s game:
#18 UCLA Men’s Basketball (9-1)
Opponent: Prairie View A&M Panthers (1-9)
Series Record: UCLA leads, 3-0
When: 6:30 pm PT, Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
TV: BTN with Kevin Kugler and Don MacLean
Live Stream: FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app
Radio/Audio
Local Radio: AM 570 with Josh Lewin and Tracy Murray
Satellite Radio: SiriusXM Channel 372 (UCLA feed)
Online: uclabruins.com
Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast
Game Notes:
UCLA
Go Bruins!!!
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?The hell I don?t! LISTEN KID! I've been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I?m out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes. "
Passing is awful.