Drew claims UCLA’s single-season assist record

Nearing the end of his lone season at UCLA, senior point guard Larry Drew II carved a place at the top of the program’s record books. The North Carolina transfer set a new single-season assist record with his fourth on Saturday against, feeding the ball upcourt to forward David Wear for an open dunk at 13:10 in the second half. He broke Pooh Richardson’s old mark of 236, set in 1989.

Drew entered the game ranked third in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.38) and assists per game (7.8).

UCLA at Washington: What to Watch

No. 23 UCLA (22-8, 12-5) at Washington (17-13, 9-8)
Tipoff:
11 a.m., Hec Edmundson Pavilion
TV/Radio: CBS/AM 570

At a glance: If UCLA wins, it will clinch a share of the Pac-12 championship and get either the No. 1 or 2 seed in the Pac-12 tourney (depending on whether Oregon wins or loses at Utah).

The Bruins haven’t beaten Washington on the road since 2004, but Hec Ed hasn’t been as intimidating as usual this year. Six teams, including three outside the top 150 in RPI, have won there by an average of eight points. The Huskies hadn’t lost more than two games at home in a season since 2007-08. Continue reading “UCLA at Washington: What to Watch” »

Bilas: Drew should be Pac-12 POY

Looks like ESPN College GameDay was memorable for Jay Bilas. The network’s analyst, who was in town last Saturday for UCLA’s win over Arizona, has pegged Bruin point guard Larry Drew II as his choice for Pac-12 Player of the Year.

His full comments, which start at 1:39 in the above video: Continue reading “Bilas: Drew should be Pac-12 POY” »

UCLA 74, Arizona 69: Extra notes

UCLA earned itself a solid 74-69 victory against Arizona Saturday night, a convincing win that keeps the Bruins controlling a share of the Pac-12 lead (game story here). The Bruins also clinched a first-round bye in the conference tournament, and will finish no lower than a third seed. Look for them to finally be ranked again for the first time since January.

Some notes: Continue reading “UCLA 74, Arizona 69: Extra notes” »

UCLA vs. Arizona: What to Watch

UCLA (21-7, 11-4) vs. No. 11 Arizona (23-5, 11-5)
Tipoff:
6 p.m., Pauley Pavilion
TV/Radio: ESPN/AM 570

At a glance: Both Arizona and UCLA need a win to boost their chances at a Pac-12 Championship. Oregon currently sits in first place at 12-4, and has road games left against Colorado and Utah. The Ducks, who now have point guard Dominic Artis again, likely won’t drop both.

As it stands, the Bruins can still claim a share of the conference title as long as they win out. Oregon’s head-to-head tiebreaker will give them the top seed in the Pac-12 tournament assuming UCLA finishes with the same record. Continue reading “UCLA vs. Arizona: What to Watch” »