Television executives have officially joined the faction anticipating Steve Alford’s heralded recruiting class. The UCLA men’s basketball team will make more national television appearances this coming season than each of the previous three under Alford.
Featuring touted freshmen Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf, the Bruins will appear on CBS on three occasions, Fox Sports 1 six times and the ESPN family of networks a minimum of 10 times, according to the schedule released by the UCLA athletic department on Thursday.
UCLA’s 15-17 record last season and a 6-12 conference mark that was their worst in 14 years didn’t deter the networks. The obvious reason seems to be the arrival of rivals.com’s No. 5 recruiting class in the country to a roster that has a solid nucleus after graduating just one senior, center Tony Parker. Ball and Leaf are rated the class of 2016’s fourth and 16th recruits in the country, respectively, by rivals.com, which rates UCLA freshman center Ike Anigbogu 25th.
The trio will be along for the Bruins’ first-ever trip to face Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Dec. 3, the first of three games to be broadcast by CBS. The matchup with one of the most celebrated programs in college basketball is enhanced by UCLA’s defeat of then No. 1 Kentucky last season in Westwood.
The Bruins’ lone Pac-12 conference game to be broadcast by CBS is a Jan. 21 contest at Pauley Pavilion against Arizona, which finished tiedl for third in the Pac-12 last season behind Utah and Oregon. Also airing on CBS will be UCLA’s Dec. 17 game against Ohio State in Las Vegas.
The freshman class will make their regular season debut Nov. 11 against Pacific at Pauley Pavilion, one of 12 games to be carried by the Pac-12 Network. The first four games of the season and five conference matchups will be aired by the Pac-12 Network. The Pac-12 tournament beginning March 8 will be split between ESPN and the Pac-12 Network.
ESPN will carry the Bruins’ Feb. 9 game at Pauley Pavilion against defending Pac-12 champion Oregon, which returns the core of its Elite 8 team of a year ago. UCLA’s home game against Michigan on Dec. 10 will air on ESPN2, which will carry the Bruins’ Pac-12 opener at Oregon Dec. 28.
In total, the Bruins are guaranteed 21 national television appearances during the 2016-17 regular season, two more than last season and
four more than 2014-15.
UCLA 2016-17 MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Nov. 11 vs. Pacific
Nov. 13 vs. Cal State Northridge
Nov. 17 vs. San Diego
Nov. 20 vs. Long Beach State
Nov. 24 TBA, Wooden Legacy at Cal State Fullerton
Nov. 25 TBD, Wooden Legacy at Cal State Fullerton
Nov. 27 TBD, Wooden Legacy at Honda Center
Nov. 30 vs. UC Riverside
Dec. 3 at Kentucky
Dec. 10 vs. Michigan
Dec. 14 vs. UC Santa Barbara
Dec. 17 vs. Ohio State at Las Vegas, Nev.
Dec. 21 vs. Western Michigan
Dec. 28: at Oregon
Dec. 30: at Oregon State
Jan. 5: vs. Cal
Jan. 8: vs. Stanford
Jan. 12 at Colorado
Jan. 14: at Utah
Jan. 19: vs. Arizona State
Jan. 21: vs. Arizona
Jan. 25: at USC
Feb. 1: at Washington State
Feb. 4: at Washington
Feb. 9: vs. Oregon
Feb. 12: vs. Oregon State
Feb. 18: vs. USC
Feb. 23: at Arizona State
Feb. 25: at Arizona
March 1: vs. Washington
March 4: vs. Washington State
March 8-11: Pac-12 Tournament
March 14-15: NCAA First Four
March 16-19: NCAA First, Second Rounds
March 23-26: NCAA Regional
April 1-3: NCAA Final Four