SportsDirect Inc.
Preview: Weber State at UCLA
UCLA strives to bounce back from a humbling defeat against Duke when it hosts Weber State on Sunday. The No. 22 Bruins are off to their best start since 2008-09 while adjusting to new coach Steve Alford but they took a lot of lumps while being outclassed 80-63 by No. 8 Duke on Thursday. Returning to the winning side shouldn’t be a problem as Weber State hasn’t defeated a ranked opponent since defeating Utah during the 2000-01 campaign.
Forward David Wear had his best outing of the season against Duke, scoring a season-high 16 points and going 4-of-4 from 3-point range. Alford has quickened the offensive pace and the Bruins are averaging 86.7 points and have scored more than 90 points five times. Weber State is playing for only the third time in 22 days and the Wildcats posted a school-record 71-point victory – 107-36 – over Saint Katherine on Tuesday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
ABOUT WEBER STATE (2-4): Senior guard Davion Berry is averaging 18.7 points and four assists while carrying the Wildcats. Berry has scored 20 or more points four times this season and has reached double digits in 33 of his 43 career games at the school. Guard Jeremy Senglin (12.7) and center Kyle Tresnak (11.5) also are averaging in double figures while forward Joel Bolomboy contributes 8.8 points and a team-best nine boards per game and is expected to play against UCLA after missing a game with an ankle injury.
ABOUT UCLA (9-2): Sophomore guard Jordan Adams has been stellar with seven 20-point outings while leading the Bruins in scoring (20.2) and steals 37. Sophomore backcourt mate Kyle Anderson is flourishing as a ballhandler and leads UCLA in rebounding (8.8) and assists (6.7) while tallying 13.9 points per outing. The Bruins have been receiving superb play off the bench from freshman guard Zach LaVine, who has scored in double digits nine times while averaging 13.2 points and shooting 54.9 percent from the field.
TIP-INS
1. Both of the prior meetings came in the NCAA Tournament with UCLA winning in 1972 and 2007.
2. Bruins G Norman Powell is shooting 58.5 percent from the field while averaging 11.4 points.
3. Weber State F Josh Fuller, who began his career at Utah, is averaging six points and 5.5 rebounds.
PREDICTION: UCLA 85, Weber State 72
