The Bruins have run into trouble in Pullman in the past, but they enter Friday’s matchup with the Cougars on a big winning streak.
The main Pac-12 slate will finally tip off Friday, with the Bruins opening things up on the road against the Cougars.
WHO: UCLA vs. Washington State
DATE: Friday, Dec. 30
TIME: 8:06 p.m. PT
LOCATION: Beasley Coliseum, Pullman, WA
TV: Pac-12 Networks – Ted Robinson (play-by-play), Bill Walton (analyst)
STREAMING: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
RADIO: AM 570, Sirius Ch. 83, SXM App 83 – Nick Koop (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SPREAD: UCLA -8.5 (-118), Washington State +8.5 (-110)*
MONEY LINE: UCLA -500, Washington State, +310
OVER/UNDER: O 133.5 (-110), U 133.5 (-118)*
UCLA came in at No. 11 in the most recent AP Poll and No. 8 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, and is currently No. 6 in the NET Rankings, No. 4 in the KenPom and No. 3 in the BARTHAG. Washington State is not in either poll, and is currently No. 92 in the NET, No. 78 in the KenPom and No. 73 in the BARTHAG.
The Bruins were the heavy favorite to win the Pac-12 this season, earning the No. 1 spot in the preseason media poll with the vast majority of first-place votes. The Cougars, on the other hand, came in at No. 8.
UCLA is led by coach Mick Cronin, who is in his fourth season with the program. Cronin boasts a 79-32 record since arriving in Westwood and a 444-203 record as a head coach overall, including his stints at Murray State and Cincinnati.
The Bruins are currently 11-2, including a 2-0 record in Pac-12 play. A winless weekend in Las Vegas in November set UCLA back in the polls a bit following losses to Illinois and Baylor, but they have since bounced back with an eight-game winning streak that featured big wins at then-No. 20 Maryland and against then-No. 13 Kentucky.
UCLA is averaging 80.3 points per game while allowing 61.5 points per game, which ranks No. 41 and No. 33 in the country, respectively. The Bruins have the No. 5 adjusted offense and No. 10 adjusted defense in the KenPom. Their 50.0% field goal percentage ranks No. 18 in the country, and their 10.1 turnovers per game are the third-fewest in Division I.
Guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. leads UCLA with 17.0 points per game, and he ranks second on the team with 6.2 rebounds per game. Guard Jaylen Clark is averaging 15.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game, while point guard Tyger Campbell is averaging 13.3 points and 4.3 assists per game. Freshmen Amari Bailey, Dylan Andrews and Adem Bona, menawhile, are each emerging as secondary options alongside veteran sharpshooter David Singleton.
Washington State is led by coach Jim Les, who is in his 12th season with the Aggies. Les has gone to two NCAA tournaments in his 21 seasons as a head coach at the Division I level, and he has a 318-316 career record including his stint at his alma mater, Bradley.
The Cougars are in the midst of an up-and-down 5-8 campaign, never winning or losing more than two games in a row. Washington State lost to both Oregon and Utah in its early Pac-12 games, the latter of which beat the Cougars in Pullman. The team hasn’t played at home since Dec. 7, losing at neutral sites to UNLV, Baylor and Utah State and on the road versus Hawaii. Their only win in that span came by two points against George Washington in Honolulu.
Washington State is averaging 68.7 points per game while allowing 65.2 points per game, which rank No. 269 and No. 93 in the country, respectively. The Cougars have the No. 91 adjusted offense and No. 69 adjusted defense in the KenPom. Washington State ranks No. 7 in the country in limiting opponents’ rebounding, and they allow the 25th-fewest 3-pointers made per game.
Guard TJ Bamba has emerged as the Cougars’ top scoring option, averaging 17.4 points per game. Although Saint Mary’s transfer wing Jabe Mullins’ scoring has fizzled since his pair of 20-point outings in late November, he and Tennessee transfer Justin Powerll continue to jack up roughly 11 triples a night. Forward Mouhamed Gueye continues to have an impact coming off a Pac-12 All-Freshman campaign, averaging 13.4 points and 7.9 rebounds on 50.0% shooting from the field.
UCLA is 112-19 against Washington State all-time, most recently defeating them in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Pac-12 Tournament back in March. The Bruins are 0-2 in Pullman under Cronin and 2-5 on the road against the Cougars since 2013, though.
*Odds via SI Sportsbook
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