#3 UCLA BRUINS 3-0 (0-0 B1G)
Last Season 34-3 (15-1), 3-0 B1GT (Champion), 4-1 NCAAT (Lost to UConn in Final Four 51-85).
AP Preseason #3 (UNC #11)
Massey 4 (UNC 20); NET (Nolan) 5 (UNC 20); Torvik 2 (UNC 14).
#11 Carolina’s next game is this Thursday against the UCLA Bruins, in Las Vegas. This game is a part of the WBCA Challenge. For this game, Massey has UCLA by 7, as does Warren Nolan. Torvik favors the Bruins by 10.
Bruin actually taken literally means “brown bear”. "Bruin" is a more poetic or literary term used to describe a bear. The California state bear is the Grizzly, now extinct. It is the bear depicted on California’s state flag. UCal uses a variant of this, the Golden Bear, but it is still the extinct Grizzly or brown bear.
UCLA is 3-0 on the season, winning their opener at Anaheim against San Diego State 77-53. Like UNC, their home opener was a “field trip day” as they hosted UC Santa Barbara, winning easily 87-50. Next was a more significant matchup with #6 Oklahoma up in Sacramento. UCLA handled the Sooners 73-59.
It was somewhat surprising to note that UNC has played UCLA ten times. Carolina leads the series 6-4. Six of the games were part of scheduled “home and away” matchups. The four games between 1986 and 1989 had the home teams winning and ended 2-2. This was repeated in 2014-15 but then Carolina won both ends. The last game was in 2018 as part of the Paradise Jam, and probably one UCLA would like to forget as the Heels won 83-49 and put five players in double figures led by Janelle Bailey’s double-double of 20/11. Other contributors were Paris Kea (15), Steph Watts (14), Shayla Bennett (13), and Taylor Koenen (12).
UCLA (and it is properly called U. of California, Los Angeles and not U. of California AT Los Angeles; they are touchy about this) is the second oldest of the UC System, UC Berkeley being the flagship. UCLA was founded in 1919, and today has an enrollment of 40,000 – 28,000 undergrad and 12,000 graduate. UCLA is the most applied-to University in the world; over 100,000 applications annually. The Bruins also have one of the most successful athletic programs in history; they are still one of only five schools with a championship in both men’s and women’s basketball: Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, Stanford and UCLA.
Like South Carolina, UCLA is talent-laden with a mix of returnees, transfers, and a few freshmen sprinkled in for good measure. When the PAC-12 imploded, HC Cori Close saw an opportunity and went after players who were known to be talented and experienced. This produced the “Gang of Five” – Timea Gardiner (Oregon State), Lauren Betts (Stanford), Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State), Gianna Kneepkens (Utah), and Angela Dugalic (Oregon).
Three are starting: 6-7 senior C Betts (14 ppg/7 rpg); 5-10 GS G Leger-Walker (8.3/4.0); and 5-10 GS G Kneepkens (16.3/4.7). Rounding out the first five are 5-11 senior G Kiki Rice (13.3/6.0) and 6-0 senior G Gabriela Jaquez (15.7/8.3). Both were starters last season. 6-4 GS F Dugalic completes the top six. Betts (2), Kneepkens (14), and Rice (17) were on the “Top 25” list and Betts is thought to be a contender for POY.
Further along the bench are 6-4 redshirt sophomore Amanda Muse (2/2.7) and true freshman Lena Bilic (1.7/1.3). Both have played in the three games so far, averaging about 11 minutes. Making brief appearances are 5-10 senior wing Megan Grant, a softball All-American looking to add a second credential to her career on the diamond, and a second true freshman, Christina Karamouzi, who’s from Sweden.
Yet to play are Timea Gardiner, a 6-3 senior F and Sienna Betts, a 6-4 freshman F. Gardiner was 6th POY two years back, and Betts is the younger sister of Lauren. Both are injured but Betts is thought to be able to return “soon”. Gardiner’s return is “uncertain”.
Head Coach Cori Close is in her fifteenth year with a record so far of 324-143. Close has put her UCLA team into post-season play 13 times, and until last season’s Final Four trip were a consistent Sweet Sixteen team. Last season Close was Coach of the Year according to the USBWA and Naismith.
That said, Close could not have been happy with the 34-point beat-down they got from UConn in the Final Four. The Bruins had no good answers for Sarah Strong (22 points), Azzi Fudd (19) and Paige Bueckers (16). It’s likely that game will be a motivation to reach the Final Four again – something which most pundits think likely.
For Carolina, playing UCLA in an early season game is a challenge. The Heels will have to be ready with a maximum effort. Lauren Betts is a problem at 6-7 and if Blanca Thomas still is not ready to play Ciera Toomey will have her hands full on defense. Carolina has been playing an extended roster but for this game a tighter rotation may be required. UCLA has seven McDonald’s AAs rostered and five regularly play.
UNC’s PG Elina Aarnisalo had 18 minutes for UCLA in the NCAA semifinal. Hopefully she has given Coach CB a good scouting report.
If this game goes south for UNC, scheduling complaints can be addressed to the WBCA Past President, under whose tenure it was scheduled.
The game is 9 PM EST and it can be found on ESPN2. There is radio coverage if you can figure out how to access that. I can’t.
Last Season 34-3 (15-1), 3-0 B1GT (Champion), 4-1 NCAAT (Lost to UConn in Final Four 51-85).
AP Preseason #3 (UNC #11)
Massey 4 (UNC 20); NET (Nolan) 5 (UNC 20); Torvik 2 (UNC 14).
#11 Carolina’s next game is this Thursday against the UCLA Bruins, in Las Vegas. This game is a part of the WBCA Challenge. For this game, Massey has UCLA by 7, as does Warren Nolan. Torvik favors the Bruins by 10.
Bruin actually taken literally means “brown bear”. "Bruin" is a more poetic or literary term used to describe a bear. The California state bear is the Grizzly, now extinct. It is the bear depicted on California’s state flag. UCal uses a variant of this, the Golden Bear, but it is still the extinct Grizzly or brown bear.
UCLA is 3-0 on the season, winning their opener at Anaheim against San Diego State 77-53. Like UNC, their home opener was a “field trip day” as they hosted UC Santa Barbara, winning easily 87-50. Next was a more significant matchup with #6 Oklahoma up in Sacramento. UCLA handled the Sooners 73-59.
It was somewhat surprising to note that UNC has played UCLA ten times. Carolina leads the series 6-4. Six of the games were part of scheduled “home and away” matchups. The four games between 1986 and 1989 had the home teams winning and ended 2-2. This was repeated in 2014-15 but then Carolina won both ends. The last game was in 2018 as part of the Paradise Jam, and probably one UCLA would like to forget as the Heels won 83-49 and put five players in double figures led by Janelle Bailey’s double-double of 20/11. Other contributors were Paris Kea (15), Steph Watts (14), Shayla Bennett (13), and Taylor Koenen (12).
UCLA (and it is properly called U. of California, Los Angeles and not U. of California AT Los Angeles; they are touchy about this) is the second oldest of the UC System, UC Berkeley being the flagship. UCLA was founded in 1919, and today has an enrollment of 40,000 – 28,000 undergrad and 12,000 graduate. UCLA is the most applied-to University in the world; over 100,000 applications annually. The Bruins also have one of the most successful athletic programs in history; they are still one of only five schools with a championship in both men’s and women’s basketball: Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, Stanford and UCLA.
Like South Carolina, UCLA is talent-laden with a mix of returnees, transfers, and a few freshmen sprinkled in for good measure. When the PAC-12 imploded, HC Cori Close saw an opportunity and went after players who were known to be talented and experienced. This produced the “Gang of Five” – Timea Gardiner (Oregon State), Lauren Betts (Stanford), Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State), Gianna Kneepkens (Utah), and Angela Dugalic (Oregon).
Three are starting: 6-7 senior C Betts (14 ppg/7 rpg); 5-10 GS G Leger-Walker (8.3/4.0); and 5-10 GS G Kneepkens (16.3/4.7). Rounding out the first five are 5-11 senior G Kiki Rice (13.3/6.0) and 6-0 senior G Gabriela Jaquez (15.7/8.3). Both were starters last season. 6-4 GS F Dugalic completes the top six. Betts (2), Kneepkens (14), and Rice (17) were on the “Top 25” list and Betts is thought to be a contender for POY.
Further along the bench are 6-4 redshirt sophomore Amanda Muse (2/2.7) and true freshman Lena Bilic (1.7/1.3). Both have played in the three games so far, averaging about 11 minutes. Making brief appearances are 5-10 senior wing Megan Grant, a softball All-American looking to add a second credential to her career on the diamond, and a second true freshman, Christina Karamouzi, who’s from Sweden.
Yet to play are Timea Gardiner, a 6-3 senior F and Sienna Betts, a 6-4 freshman F. Gardiner was 6th POY two years back, and Betts is the younger sister of Lauren. Both are injured but Betts is thought to be able to return “soon”. Gardiner’s return is “uncertain”.
Head Coach Cori Close is in her fifteenth year with a record so far of 324-143. Close has put her UCLA team into post-season play 13 times, and until last season’s Final Four trip were a consistent Sweet Sixteen team. Last season Close was Coach of the Year according to the USBWA and Naismith.
That said, Close could not have been happy with the 34-point beat-down they got from UConn in the Final Four. The Bruins had no good answers for Sarah Strong (22 points), Azzi Fudd (19) and Paige Bueckers (16). It’s likely that game will be a motivation to reach the Final Four again – something which most pundits think likely.
For Carolina, playing UCLA in an early season game is a challenge. The Heels will have to be ready with a maximum effort. Lauren Betts is a problem at 6-7 and if Blanca Thomas still is not ready to play Ciera Toomey will have her hands full on defense. Carolina has been playing an extended roster but for this game a tighter rotation may be required. UCLA has seven McDonald’s AAs rostered and five regularly play.
UNC’s PG Elina Aarnisalo had 18 minutes for UCLA in the NCAA semifinal. Hopefully she has given Coach CB a good scouting report.
If this game goes south for UNC, scheduling complaints can be addressed to the WBCA Past President, under whose tenure it was scheduled.
The game is 9 PM EST and it can be found on ESPN2. There is radio coverage if you can figure out how to access that. I can’t.
better at least be competitive and will need to grow up quickly if they want a win.
Brooks still in full warm ups