2014–15 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team

The 2014–15 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2014–15 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins were led by second-year head coach Steve Alford and played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members in the Pac-12 Conference. The team featured two All-Pac-12 performers in Norman Powell and Kevon Looney. Although the freshman Looney was seen as a potential NBA lottery pick, the senior Powell became the Bruins' most consistent performer.[1] After numerous non-conference losses to start the season, UCLA finished in fourth place (11–7) in the Pac-12. They earned a No. 11 seed in the NCAA tournament, and advanced to the Sweet 16, becoming the lowest-seed UCLA team to ever reach the regional semifinals.[2] The program produced its 49th 20-win season.

2014–15 UCLA Bruins men's basketball
NCAA tournament, Sweet Sixteen
ConferencePac-12 Conference
Record22–14 (11–7 Pac-12)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Ed Schilling
  • Duane Broussard
  • David Grace
Home arenaPauley Pavilion
2014–15 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 5 Arizona162 .889344  .895
No. 25 Oregon135 .7222610  .722
No. 19 Utah135 .722269  .743
UCLA117 .6112214  .611
Stanford99 .5002413  .649
Arizona State99 .5001816  .529
Oregon State810 .4441714  .548
California711 .3891815  .545
Colorado711 .3891618  .471
Washington State711 .3891318  .419
Washington513 .2781615  .516
USC315 .1671220  .375
Pac-12 Tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

The Bruins began the season 4–0 and ranked No. 22 before losing two of three games at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.[3][4] According to some pundits, the Bruins had the toughest non-conference schedule in the Pac-12. However, it did not net any signature wins, losing to ranked North Carolina, Gonzaga, and Kentucky.[5] Beginning with their December loss at home to Gonzaga, the Bruins lost five consecutive games, their longest streak since 2009–10.[6] Losses included a 39-point defeat to No. 1 Kentucky—they fell behind 24–0 and trailed 41–7 at halftime—and by 32 points against Utah.[7][8][9] After Gonzaga, UCLA went 25 days without a home game, the longest in the school's history since 1972–73.[10] They recovered to win eight of their next 11.[5] After getting swept in a road trip to Arizona, UCLA closed out the regular season with three straight home wins to finish undefeated (9–0) at home in the conference for the first time since 2006–07.[11] However, UCLA had few wins against notable teams during the season,[12][13] and experts widely predicted that they needed a strong performance in the Pac-12 tournament to qualify for the NCAA tournament.[14] The Bruins went 1–1, and were eliminated by Arizona. Although they were 0–2 for the season against the Wildcats, both games were competitive until the end.[12]

Proving most major projections wrong, UCLA received an invite to the NCAA tournament, earning a No. 11 seed.[12][15] Selection committee chairman Scott Barnes cited the Bruins' strength of schedule and improved play, even in their tournament loss to Arizona, as factors in their inclusion.[15][16] In the Bruins' opener, Bryce Alford was credited with the game-winning three-point field goal after a goaltending call with 13 seconds remaining in a 60–59 win over sixth-seeded SMU. He finished with a game-high 27 points and made 9 of 11 three-point attempts.[17] They advanced to the Sweet 16, where they lost again to Gonzaga, 74–62.[18]

Previous season

The UCLA Bruins finished the season with a record of 28–9 after advancing to the 2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. At the Pac-12 Conference tournament, the Bruins defeated the Arizona Wildcats 75–71 for the tournament championship. Kyle Anderson was voted the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after scoring 21 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in the championship game. The Bruins advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2014 NCAA tournament—their first regional semifinal appearance since 2008—before falling to Florida, who improved to 4–0 all-time against UCLA in the NCAA tournament.[19]

Offseason

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
David Wear12F6'10"230RS SeniorHuntington Beach, CaliforniaGraduated
Travis Wear24F6'10"230RS SeniorHuntington Beach, CaliforniaGraduated
Sooren Derboghosian10C6'10"240SeniorTehran, IranWalk-on; Transferred to Drexel.
Aubrey Williams30PG5'8"175SeniorPalmdale, CaliforniaWalk-on; Graduated
Jordan Adams3SG6'5"220SophomoreLawrenceville, GeorgiaDeclared for 2014 NBA draft.
Kyle Anderson5G/F6'9"230SophomoreFairview, New JerseyDeclared for 2014 NBA Draft.
Zach LaVine14G6'5"180FreshmanBothell, WashingtonDeclared for 2014 NBA Draft.

2014 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
György Golomán
C
Weston, FL The Sagemont School 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Oct 28, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Kevon Looney
PF
Milwaukee, WI Hamilton High School 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Oct 31, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Thomas Welsh
C
Los Angeles, CA Loyola High School 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 240 lb (110 kg) Nov 19, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Jonah Bolden
F
Sydney, AUS Brewster Academy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Dec 9, 2013 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 7   Rivals: 17  ESPN: 11
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "UCLA Commit List for 2014". Rivals.com.
  • "2014 UCLA Basketball Commits". Scout.com.
  • "ESPN". ESPN.com.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com.
  • "2014 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

Roster

2014–15 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 0 Nick Kazemi (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)210 lb (95 kg) RS JrTustin H.S. Santa Ana, California
F 1 Wanaah Bail 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)215 lb (98 kg) SoLamar Consolidated H.S. Houston, Texas
G 2 Kory Alford (W) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)185 lb (84 kg) RS JrLa Cueva H.S. Albuquerque, New Mexico
G 4 Norman Powell 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)215 lb (98 kg) SrLincoln H.S. San Diego, California
F 5 Kevon Looney 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)220 lb (100 kg) FrHamilton H.S. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
G 10 Isaac Hamilton 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)185 lb (84 kg) SoSt. John Bosco H.S. Los Angeles, California
G 13 David Brown (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)185 lb (84 kg) SrMater Dei H.S. Anaheim Hills, California
F 14 György Golomán 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)215 lb (98 kg) FrThe Sagemont School Körmend, Hungary
G 15 Jerrold Smith (W) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)170 lb (77 kg) SoSt. Bernard H.S Los Angeles, California
G 20 Bryce Alford 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg) SoLa Cueva H.S. Albuquerque, New Mexico
G 21 Alec Wulff (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)185 lb (84 kg) FrLaguna Beach H.S. Laguna Beach, California
G/F 22 Noah Allen 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)215 lb (98 kg) SoPalma H.S. Pacific Grove, California
F/C 23 Tony Parker 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)260 lb (118 kg) JrMiller Grove H.S. Atlanta, Georgia
C 40 Thomas Welsh 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)245 lb (111 kg) FrLoyola H.S. Redondo Beach, California
G/F 43 Jonah Bolden (I) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)215 lb (98 kg) FrBrewster Academy Sydney, Australia
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: 02/18/2015

Schedule

Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
10/31/2014*
7:30 pm
Azusa Pacific W 80–53 
 21  Norman Powell  12  Kevon Looney  6  Isaac Hamilton  Pauley Pavilion (5,655)
Los Angeles, CA
Non-conference regular season
11/14/2014*
9:00 pm, P12N
Montana State W 113–78  1–0
 25  Norman Powell  9  Kevon Looney  12  Bryce Alford  Pauley Pavilion (6,523)
Los Angeles, CA
11/16/2014*
7:00 pm, P12N
Coastal Carolina W 84–71  2–0
 17  B. Alford/K. Looney  14  Kevon Looney  7  Bryce Alford  Pauley Pavilion (5,389)
Los Angeles, CA
11/20/2014*
8:00 pm, P12N
Nicholls State W 107–74  3–0
 28  Bryce Alford  14  Kevon Looney  13  Bryce Alford  Pauley Pavilion (5,231)
Los Angeles, CA
11/23/2014*
7:00 pm, P12N
Long Beach State W 77–63  4–0
 24  Norman Powell  11  Kevon Looney  7  Bryce Alford  Pauley Pavilion (8,639)
Los Angeles, CA
11/26/2014*
11:30 am, ESPN2
No. 22 vs. Oklahoma
Battle 4 Atlantis First Round
L 65–75  4–1
 19  Bryce Alford  15  Kevon Looney  4  Norman Powell  Imperial Arena (2,174)
Nassau, BHS
11/27/2014*
4:00 pm, AXS TV
No. 22 vs. No. 5 North Carolina
Battle 4 Atlantis Consolation 2nd Round
L 56–78  4–2
 15  Norman Powell  8  Thomas Welsh  3  Bryce Alford  Imperial Arena (2,940)
Nassau, BHS
11/28/2014*
7:30 pm, AXS TV
No. 22 vs. UAB
Battle 4 Atlantis 7th place game
W 88–76  5–2
 21  Issac Hamilton  8  K. Looney/T. Parker  6  Bryce Alford  Imperial Arena (517)
Nassau, BHS
12/03/2014*
9:00 pm, P12N
Cal State Fullerton W 73–45  6–2
 18  Norman Powell  13  Kevon Looney  7  Bryce Alford  Pauley Pavilion (4,897)
Los Angeles, CA
12/07/2014*
4:00 pm, P12N
San Diego W 75–68  7–2
 22  Bryce Alford  11  Kevon Looney  6  Bryce Alford  Pauley Pavilion (6,389)
Los Angeles, CA
12/10/2014*
8:00 pm, P12N
UC Riverside W 77–66  8–2
 20  Norman Powell  16  Tony Parker  8  Bryce Alford  Pauley Pavilion (5,450)
Los Angeles, CA
12/13/2014*
7:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 9 Gonzaga L 74–87  8–3
 23  Bryce Alford  9  Tony Parker  3  Bryce Alford  Pauley Pavilion (10,006)
Los Angeles, CA
12/20/2014*
12:30 pm, CBS
vs. No. 1 Kentucky
CBS Sports Classic
L 44–83  8–4
 14  Isaac Hamilton  9  Kevon Looney  3  I. Hamilton/N. Powell  United Center (19,726)
Chicago, IL
12/28/2014*
3:30 pm, ESPNU
at Alabama L 50–56  8–5
 16  Bryce Alford  6  3 tied  4  Bryce Alford  Coleman Coliseum (13,472)
Tuscaloosa, AL
Pac-12 regular season
01/02/2015
7:00 pm, FS1
at Colorado L 56–62  8–6
(0–1)
 22  Norman Powell  9  Thomas Welsh  4  Bryce Alford  Coors Events Center (10,191)
Boulder, CO
01/04/2015
1:00 pm, P12N
at No. 10 Utah L 39–71  8–7
(0–2)
 12  Tony Parker  6  Kevon Looney  5  Bryce Alford  Jon M. Huntsman Center (10,566)
Salt Lake City, UT
01/08/2015
6:00 pm, ESPN
Stanford W 86–81 2OT 9–7
(1–2)
 27  Kevon Looney  19  Kevon Looney  5  Isaac Hamilton  Pauley Pavilion (7,379)
Los Angeles, CA
01/11/2015
4:30 pm, FS1
California W 73–54  10–7
(2–2)
 15  Kevon Looney  8  Tony Parker  9  Bryce Alford  Pauley Pavilion (11,093)
Los Angeles, CA
01/14/2015
6:00 pm, ESPN2
at USC
Rivalry
W 83–66  11–7
(3–2)
 22  Norman Powell  10  Kevon Looney  4  Norman Powell  Galen Center (6,253)
Los Angeles, CA
01/22/2015
6:00 pm, P12N
at Oregon State L 55–66  11–8
(3–3)
 18  Bryce Alford  11  Kevon Looney  6  Bryce Alford  Gill Coliseum (6,024)
Corvallis, OR
01/24/2015
1:00 pm, CBS
at Oregon L 64–82  11–9
(3–4)
 23  Norman Powell  8  Kevon Looney  3  Noah Allen  Matthew Knight Arena (7,301)
Eugene, OR
01/29/2015
7:00 pm, ESPN2
No. 11 Utah W 69–59  12–9
(4–4)
 23  Norman Powell  6  K. Looney/T. Parker  7  Bryce Alford  Pauley Pavilion (7,008)
Los Angeles, CA
01/31/2015
7:30 pm, P12N
Colorado W 72–59  13–9
(5–4)
 22  Norman Powell  10  Kevon Looney  5  Bryce Alford  Pauley Pavilion (9,057)
Los Angeles, CA
02/05/2015
6:00 pm, ESPN2
at Stanford W 69–67  14–9
(6–4)
 20  Norman Powell  9  Kevon Looney  4  Isaac Hamilton  Maples Pavilion (5,298)
Stanford, CA
02/07/2015
5:00 pm, P12N
at California L 62–64  14–10
(6–5)
 20  Tony Parker  11  Kevon Looney  5  Bryce Alford  Haas Pavilion (10,853)
Berkeley, CA
02/11/2015
7:00 pm, P12N
Oregon State W 75–59  15–10
(7–5)
 22  Bryce Alford  10  Tony Parker  9  Isaac Hamilton  Pauley Pavilion (6,346)
Los Angeles, CA
02/14/2015
12:00 pm, FOX
Oregon W 72–63  16–10
(8–5)
 24  Norman Powell  11  Kevon Looney  7  Isaac Hamilton  Pauley Pavilion (10,006)
Los Angeles, CA
02/18/2015
6:00 pm, ESPN2
at Arizona State L 66–68  16–11
(8–6)
 16  Norman Powell  6  Kevon Looney  4  Bryce Alford  Wells Fargo Arena (7,873)
Tempe, AZ
02/21/2015
6:00 pm, ESPN
at No. 7 Arizona
Rivalry and ESPN College GameDay
L 47–57  16–12
(8–7)
 22  Bryce Alford  5  Norman Powell  3  Bryce Alford  McKale Center (14,655)
Tucson, AZ
02/25/2015
8:00 pm, ESPN2
Washington W 88–66  17–12
(9–7)
 24  Norman Powell  7  K. Looney/N. Powell  10  Isaac Hamilton  Pauley Pavilion (7,841)
Los Angeles, CA
03/01/2015
6:30 pm, FS1
Washington State W 72–67  18–12
(10–7)
 28  Norman Powell  10  Tony Parker  6  Isaac Hamilton  Pauley Pavilion (9,082)
Los Angeles, CA
03/04/2015
6:00 pm, ESPN2
USC
Rivalry
W 85–74  19–12
(11–7)
 23  Bryce Alford  13  Kevon Looney  5  Isaac Hamilton  Pauley Pavilion (10,734)
Los Angeles, CA
Pac-12 Tournament
03/12/2015
2:30 pm, P12N
vs. USC
Quarterfinals
W 96–70  20–12
 36  Isaac Hamilton  7  B. Alford/G. Goloman  7  Bryce Alford  MGM Grand Garden Arena (12,916)
Paradise,NV
03/13/2015
6:00 pm, P12N
vs. No. 5 Arizona
Semifinals
L 64–70  20–13
 21  Norman Powell  4  5 tied  2  3 tied  MGM Grand Garden Arena (12,916)
Paradise, NV
NCAA tournament
03/19/2015*
12:10 PM, truTV
No. (11 S) vs. No. 18 (6 S) SMU
Second round
W 60–59  21–13
 27  Bryce Alford  10  Kevon Looney  4  B. Alford/I. Hamilton  KFC Yum! Center (21,285)
Louisville, KY
03/21/2015*
9:10 AM, CBS
No. (11 S) vs. (14 S) UAB
Third round
W 92–75  22–13
 28  Tony Parker  12  Tony Parker  7  Isaac Hamilton  KFC Yum! Center (21,760)
Louisville, KY
03/27/2015*
4:15 PM, CBS
No. (11 S) vs. No. 7 (2 S) Gonzaga
Sweet Sixteen
L 62–74  22–14
 16  T. Parker/N. Powell  11  Parker  4  B. Alford/I. Hamilton  NRG Stadium (21,168)
Houston, TX
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Pacific Time. (#) during NCAA Tournament is seed with Region S=South.

Rankings

Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
PollPreWk 2Wk 3Wk 4Wk 5Wk 6Wk 7Wk 8Wk 9Wk 10Wk 11Wk 12Wk 13Wk 14Wk 15Wk 16Wk 17Wk 18Wk 19Final
AP RV RV 22 RV NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR N/A
Coaches RV RV 23 RV RV NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR RV

Awards and honors

Norman Powell was Pac-12 Player of the Week three times

Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week

All-Pac-12 Teams

  • Norman Powell – First-team All-Pac-12, honorable mention All-Defensive Team
  • Kevon Looney – Second-team All-Pac-12, Pac-12 All-Freshman Team
  • Bryce Alford – Honorable mention All-Pac-12

USBWA All-District IX Team

  • Norman Powell

NABC All-District 20 Team

  • Norman Powell – Second-team
  • Kevon Looney – Second-team

UCLA Team Awards

  • Norman Powell – the Coach John R. Wooden Award as the team's Most Valuable Player[21]
  • Kevon Looney – the Gerald A. Finerman Award as the team's rebounding leader and the Seymour Armond Memorial Award as the most valuable freshman
  • Bryce Alford – the UCLA Alumni Association Award as the team's leader in assists (4.9 apg)

Notes

References

  1. Wang, Jack (March 10, 2015). "Norman Powell is thankful for his UCLA career, both the good and the bad". Daily News. Archived from the original on March 20, 2015.
  2. Helfand, Zach (March 27, 2015). "As UCLA season ends, Kevon Looney keeps options open". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015.
  3. Helfand, Zach (November 24, 2014). "UCLA basketball vaults into top 25 after 4-0 start". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014.
  4. Helfand, Zach (December 2, 2014). "UCLA guard Isaac Hamilton continues to shake off the rust". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2014.
  5. Harris, Beth (March 3, 2015). "UCLA in search of late-season wins to make NCAA Tournament". Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016.
  6. Helfand, Zach (January 4, 2015). "There's something in the air as ice-cold UCLA falls to Utah, 71-39". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 5, 2015.
  7. Kartje, Ryan (March 18, 2015). "UCLA basketball team confident history can repeat". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015.
  8. Graney, Ed (March 13, 2015). "Alford, UCLA get lesson in life on NCAA Tournament bubble". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015.
  9. Harvey, Randy (March 23, 2015). "Glass slipper looks odd on UCLA". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015.
  10. "UCLA rallies past Stanford in double-OT thriller". USA Today. Associated Press. January 9, 2015. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015.
  11. "UCLA beats Southern California 85-74 to lock up No. 4 seed". ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 4, 2015. Archived from the original on March 7, 2015.
  12. Helfand, Zach (March 15, 2015). "UCLA earns a surprise selection into the NCAA tournament". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 19, 2015.
  13. Brennan, Eamonn (March 15, 2015). "College Basketball Bubble Watch". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015.
  14. Helfand, Zach (March 11, 2015). "UCLA Bruins hope NCAA selection committee won't burst their bubble". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 14, 2015.
  15. Wang, Jack (March 15, 2015). "UCLA gets No. 11 seed in NCAA Tournament, will play SMU". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015.
  16. "Larry Eustachy: Players devastated". ESPN.com. March 15, 2015. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015.
  17. Wang, Jack (March 19, 2015). "NCAA Tournament: Bryce Alford gets hot and fortunate as UCLA stuns SMU". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on March 22, 2015.
  18. Helfand, Zach (March 27, 2015). "UCLA can't shoot way out of trouble, loses to Gonzaga in NCAA Sweet 16". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015.
  19. "Gators finish off UCLA for 29th straight win, 4th straight Elite 8". ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 27, 2014. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  20. Helfand, Zach (March 2, 2015). "Norman Powell is named Pac-12's player of the week for the third time". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 4, 2015.
  21. UCLA Basketball Announces Year-End Awards at Team Banquet , UCLABruins.com, April 28, 2015
  22. Jeremy Bergman, USC Bullied By UCLA In Second Half, Fall 83-66 Archived 2015-01-15 at the Wayback Machine, Annenberg Media Center, January 14, 2015
  23. College basketball roundup: Bruins make it 4 straight over Trojans, 83-66 Archived 2015-01-15 at the Wayback Machine, The Bakersfield Californian, January 14, 2015
  24. Pac-12 Basketball Hall of Honor to Induct 2014-15 Class, Pac-12 Conference, January 15, 2015
  25. UCLA Men's Basketball to Wear Heritage Classic Uniform on Jan. 31 Archived 2015-01-23 at the Wayback Machine, UCLABruins.com, January 16, 2015
  26. UCLA Athletics Introduces the Mo Ostin Basketball Center , UCLABruins.com, March 10, 205
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