Sports
UCLA Finalizes Nonconference Men's Basketball Schedule – UCLA – UCLA Athletics
Men’s Basketball
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA men’s basketball team will play 11 nonconference games in 2022-23, including matchups in December at Villanova and at home against Maryland.
The Bruins will open their regular-season schedule at home against Saint Francis on Monday, Nov. 6.
UCLA will play 11 nonconference contests from Nov. 6 through Dec. 22, before entering the 20-game Pac-12 schedule in late December. In addition, the Bruins will host one home exhibition contest against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Tuesday, Oct. 31.
“Who you play and how you prepare your team is extremely important,” said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach. “Winning games in the nonconference portion is helpful when you talk about getting into March and building a postseason resume. There’s no question that we will be tested when we play in Maui. This year’s Maui Invitational field is probably among the most challenging early-season tournaments that you are going to see. Every game is an opportunity. Our nonconference schedule will serve as a good litmus test for us, heading into Pac-12 play. I know that our guys, both the returning players and our incomers, are really excited to get into Pauley Pavilion and give our fans a reason to get loud.”
UCLA’s entire 31-game schedule, with all game times and TV details, will be finalized in September. The Bruins’ regular-season schedule includes 16 home games, four neutral-site contests and 11 road games.
UCLA will open the 2023-24 regular season with three consecutive home contests against Saint Francis University (Nov. 6), Lafayette (Nov. 10) and Long Island University (Nov. 15) in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom.
The Bruins will return to the Maui Jim Maui Invitational the following week (Nov. 20-22), playing three games in as many days. UCLA will open against Marquette at 6:30 p.m. HT (8:30 p.m. PT) the evening of Monday, Nov. 20. The Bruins will take on either Kansas or Chaminade on Tuesday, Nov. 21. The other four teams in this season’s Maui Jim Maui Invitational field include Gonzaga, Purdue, Syracuse and Tennessee. UCLA will compete in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational for the first time since Nov. 2019 and for the seventh time overall.
UCLA will host UC Riverside on Thursday, Nov. 30, before playing four games from Dec. 9 through Dec. 22. The Bruins will complete a home-and-home series against Villanova, facing the Wildcats in Philadelphia at Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday, Dec. 9. UCLA will play in the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday, Dec. 16 (venue and matchup are to be determined).
The Bruins will host CSUN on Tuesday, Dec. 19, before completing a home-and-home series against Maryland in Pauley Pavilion on Friday, Dec. 22.
UCLA’s 20 Pac-12 contests will begin in late December. The conference schedule, along with all of UCLA’s game times and television designations, will be finalized in September.
TICKET INFORMATION: UCLA’s season ticket packages for the 2023-24 men’s basketball campaign are now available. Fans can call (310) 206-5991 or email tickets@athletics.ucla.edu for more information. Single-game tickets for UCLA’s nonconference home games will be available when the complete 2023-24 schedule is released in September. For more information about tickets, call UCLA Athletic Sales & Service at (310) 206-5991 or via email at tickets@athletics.ucla.edu.
NOTES ON THE OPPOSITION: Three of UCLA’s home nonconference opponents finished in the top half of their respective conference standings in 2022-23. Saint Francis (13-17) went 9-7 in fourth place in the Northeast Conference, UC Riverside (22-12) went 14-6 in third place in the Big West Conference and Maryland (22-13) compiled an 11-9 league record, tied for fifth place in the Big Ten Conference.
Six of the eight teams in the upcoming Maui Jim Maui Invitational (including UCLA) finished in the top four in their league standings in 2022-23. Five of those teams won their conference’s regular-season title – UCLA in the Pac-12, Gonzaga in the West Coast, Kansas in the Big 12, Marquette in the Big East and Purdue in the Big Ten. Tennessee tied for a fourth-place finish among 14 teams in the SEC. In addition, Syracuse tied for sixth place among 15 teams in the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference), and Chaminade University finished in sixth place among 11 teams in the PacWest Conference (NCAA Division II level).
Six of the eight teams headed to Maui advanced to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga, Tennessee and UCLA advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.
After having hosted Villanova in Pauley Pavilion in Nov. 2021, the Bruins will take on the Wildcats in a true road contest for the first time since 2002. The two schools faced each other in neutral-site contests in Nov. 2010 (New York City) and March 2009 (NCAA Tournament in Philadephia).
UCLA will host Maryland in Pauley Pavilion for the first time since Dec. 29, 1981. The Bruins and Terrapins had faced each other in a home-and-home matchup during the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons, with the home team winning each contest. Last season, the Bruins won an 87-60 meeting against Maryland at Xfinity Center in College Park, Md.
IN THE PAC-12: This will mark the fourth season in which the Pac-12 will utilize a 20-game league schedule. Last season, the Bruins won the Pac-12 regular-season crown with an 18-2 league record. The Bruins won the regular-season title by four games (ahead of Arizona and USC, who both finished 14-6). For the second consecutive season, UCLA advanced to the championship game of the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas.
The 20-game Pac-12 schedule will include 10 home games and 10 road games. The 2024 Pac-12 Tournament will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13, through Saturday, March 16.
UCLA Men’s Basketball, 2023-24 Nonconference Schedule
| Day | Date | Opponent | Site/Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue. | Oct. 31 | Cal State Dominguez Hills (exhibition) | Pauley Pavilion |
| Mon. | Nov. 6 | Saint Francis | Pauley Pavilion |
| Fri. | Nov. 10 | Lafayette | Pauley Pavilion |
| Wed. | Nov. 15 | LIU | Pauley Pavilion |
| Mon. | Nov. 20 | vs. Marquette (Maui Jim Maui Invitational) | Lahaina, Hawaii |
| Tue. | Nov. 21 | vs. Kansas or Chaminade (Maui Jim Maui Invitational) | Lahaina, Hawaii |
| Wed. | Nov. 22 | vs. TBD (Maui Jim Maui Invitational) | Lahaina, Hawaii |
| Thu. | Nov. 30 | UC Riverside | Pauley Pavilion |
| Sat. | Dec. 9 | at Villanova | Wells Fargo Center |
| Sat. | Dec. 16 | vs. TBD (CBS Sports Classic) | venue TBD |
| Tue. | Dec. 19 | CSUN | Pauley Pavilion |
| Fri. | Dec. 22 | Maryland | Pauley Pavilion |
Article was updated on Tuesday, July 25, to reflect the eight-team Maui Jim Maui Invitational bracket release (details here).
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