The UCLA men’s basketball team will look for another early season victory when it hosts the Patriot League’s Lafayette College, all the way from Easton, Pennsylvania.
Here’s what you need to know about the nonconference matchup:
UCLA VS. LAFAYETTE
When: Friday, 8 p.m.
Where: Pauley Pavilion
TV/Radio: Pac-12 Network/1150 AM
Records: UCLA 1-0, Lafayette 0-1
UCLA’s latest result: UCLA won its season opener against Saint Francis (Pa.), 75-44, on Monday at Pauley Pavilion. Sophomore forward/center Adem Bona emerged with a career-high 28 points, nine rebounds, four blocked shots, two assists and one steal in the blowout victory. Junior guard Lazar Stefanovic, who transferred from Utah, had 11 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. Senior forward/center Kenneth Nwuba added 10 points. The Bruins took a 10-point lead at halftime and outscored St. Francis 43-22 in the second half. It was also a milestone victory for UCLA coach Mick Cronin, who earned win No. 100 to kick off his fifth season in Westwood.
UCLA men’s basketball head coach Mick Cronin on winning his 100th career game in Westwood. pic.twitter.com/YxTvHnSipx
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) November 7, 2023
Despite the team’s 31-point win, Cronin was not satisfied with his team’s overall performance.
“Very sloppy game for us,” Cronin said. “Disappointed in a lot of things that went on (Monday night) so I have a saying that if we’re going to die, we’re going to die my way. Danny Glover, Lethal Weapon.
“Which is with guys who don’t take bad shots because they’re hunting points and guys that pass the ball. That’s got me upset. Other than that, I need to play Brandon Williams more because he understands the most important thing on offense on this team. Anybody want to guess what it is? Pass the ball to Adem Bona. If you want to play, it’s real simple. Play defense, solid rebounding. And on offense, when Adem Bona is open in the low post, pass him the ball. You’ll probably be in. I’m sure there’s a lot of guys in the history of basketball that are smart enough to figure it out by now. Guys that played with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It’s pretty simple.”
Lafayette’s latest result: Lafayette lost its season opener to Saint Joseph’s, 81-60, on Monday. The Leopards were led by junior guard Devin Hines, who had 15 points and five rebounds, the only Lafayette player in double figures.
Matchup to watch: Bona, who is 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds vs. 7-foot junior center Justin Vander Baan, who is 240 pounds. Vander Baan had only six points and three rebounds in Lafayette’s season opener but he did have four blocks. Bona dominated against St. Francis’ roster, whose tallest player was 6-9, in his first game since suffering a left shoulder injury in March that kept him out of international scrimmages and the team’s exhibition on Oct. 31.
Kenneth Nwuba, Adem Bona and Lazar Stefanovic on UCLA basketball’s 75-44 win in their season opener against Saint Francis. pic.twitter.com/HNMDbjscEX
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) November 7, 2023
UCLA trends to watch: The Bruins were not ranked in the preseason AP poll but are currently ranked No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. UCLA has eight newcomers this year, including seven freshmen, highlighted by 7-3 center Aday Mara from Spain, 6-10 forward Devin Williams for Corona Centennial High and 6-9 forward Berke Buyuktuncel from Turkey, who has not been cleared yet by the NCAA.
Also, UCLA signed Corona Centennial guard Eric Freeny to a national letter of intent on Wednesday. The 6-4 guard is ranked as one of the nation’s top 100 players by 247Sports. Freeny and Williams were teammates the past two seasons at Centennial.
𝙒𝙀𝙇𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙀 𝙏𝙊 𝙒𝙀𝙎𝙏𝙒𝙊𝙊𝘿, 𝙀𝙍𝙄𝘾‼️
Eric Freeny, from nearby Corona, Calif., has signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) with the Bruins and will join our program in 2024-25.
🏀🖋️: https://t.co/37XQRos8UH pic.twitter.com/BhC3os7Pc6
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) November 8, 2023
