UCLA head coach Mick Cronin was the Pac-12 John R. Wooden Coach of the Year in his first year in Westwood. (Photo Credit: @UCLAMBB)
Tonight, the UCLA Bruins open the 2020-2021 men’s basketball season with a game against the San Diego State Aztecs at Viejas Arena in San Diego. If the Bruins had played this game last season, they likely would have gotten crushed because UCLA just wasn’t playing the type of basketball at the start of the season that they were at the end of the season.
If NCAA Tournament had been played and UCLA had played the Aztecs in it, the Bruins may still have lost, but they certainly would have battled.
Fast-forward to tonight.
Tonight, the Bruins have a good shot to win because they return last year’s starting five while the Aztecs only return three of last year’s starting five and coach Brian Dutcher is going to have to find a way to replace a lot of the team’s production from last season.
That sounds like a formula for a Bruin win to me.
Listen to the Game Here on TMB!
The TuneIn player won’t embed here on Substack, but you can open another tab to listen to Josh Lewin and Tracy Murray call tonight’s game rather than having to listen to Tom McCarthy and Steve Lappas on CBS Sports Network. So, 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.
Join your fellow Bruin fans discussing today’s game below.
This is your UCLA Bruins at San Diego State Aztecs game thread.
UCLA Men’s Basketball (0-0)
Opponent: San Diego State Aztecs (0-0)
Series Record: UCLA leads, 15-6
When: 7:30 pm PT, Wednesday, November 25, 2019
Where: Viejas Arena, San Diego, CA
TV: CBS Sports Network with Tom McCarthy and Steve Lappas
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Is this a basketball?!?!
Yes, that's a basketball!!!!
Who is missing?
Jaquez not playing. Don't know why.
He is in
Oh, good! The pregame studio guys said he was out.
They said Juzang was out
You're right. Too many Js for me. Argh.
J.Hill knee injury
Tyler looking good. Nice mix of penetration and midrange stuff.
Good solid start on D.
Juzang out with foot injury
UCLA has the best hair that’s for sure.
Smith!
Jacquez!
With Hill and Juzang out, we are thin on bigs
SDSU playing good defense
Man we have gone cold.
their defense is solid
Definitely, but we missed a couple missed drives at the rim and just had an open airball from 3.
Missing Hill that’s for sure.
Need to find offense
I've missed UCLA basketball
Me too
We gonna see Clark tonight?
If Riley gets in foul trouble, we're done tonight
Agreed
Not getting to the line
Not handling their defense at all
Offense is sloppy and unorganized.
first FT's
No bigs in game
I really don't like the officiating this half.
Wow, adjustments needed
Bruins down 34-28 at half
I think missing Juzang and Hill is huge. Probably changed much of the offense
Too many whistles
Only 3 FTs can’t win like that
Ugh slow start
Terrible defense
Getting away from us already
Sophomore swoon for Tyger so far
Keep working it deep and take more fouls
Tyger beat out on the perimeter
3 fouls on Smith
Well we’re hanging in there. Under Alford we’d be heading for the exits.
Nothing easy at either end right now.
Going small again
That wasn't very successful first half
4 fouls on Smith
Gomez is killing us.
SDSU teaching us a lesson about marking tight around the perimeter
Not looking strong in this first game
Understatement
Tyger not acceptable tonight
We’re out of synch on both ends. SDSU is in synch.
Riley looking good at least.
We seem to be moving the ball slowly around the perimeter. That is on Tyger
Our frontline too thin tonight, and maybe all season
Cronin’ll coach em up.
not enough bodies
Yeah we really miss Hill.
Smith fouls out
Cody with 3 fouls
We were not ready. Was hoping Cronin would have done better
Aztecs were.