2014–15 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team
American college basketball season
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.
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
2014 recruiting class
Incoming freshman Kevon Looney at the 2014 McDonald's All-American Game
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 : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
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 : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
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 : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
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 : Rivals : 247Sports : ESPN :
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:
Roster
2014–15 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team
Players
Coaches
Pos.
#
Name
Height
Weight
Year
Previous school
Hometown
G
0
Nick Kazemi (W)
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
RS Jr
Tustin H.S.
Santa Ana, California
F
1
Wanaah Bail
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
So
Lamar Consolidated H.S.
Houston, Texas
G
2
Kory Alford (W)
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
RS Jr
La Cueva H.S.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
G
4
Norman Powell
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
Sr
Lincoln H.S.
San Diego, California
F
5
Kevon Looney
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
Fr
Hamilton H.S.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
G
10
Isaac Hamilton
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
So
St. John Bosco H.S.
Los Angeles, California
G
13
David Brown (W)
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
Sr
Mater Dei H.S.
Anaheim Hills, California
F
14
György Golomán
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
Fr
The Sagemont School
Körmend , Hungary
G
15
Jerrold Smith (W)
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
170 lb (77 kg)
So
St. Bernard H.S
Los Angeles, California
G
20
Bryce Alford
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
So
La Cueva H.S.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
G
21
Alec Wulff (W)
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
Fr
Laguna Beach H.S.
Laguna Beach, California
G/F
22
Noah Allen
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
So
Palma H.S.
Pacific Grove, California
F/C
23
Tony Parker
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
260 lb (118 kg)
Jr
Miller Grove H.S.
Atlanta, Georgia
C
40
Thomas Welsh
7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
245 lb (111 kg)
Fr
Loyola H.S.
Redondo Beach, California
G/F
43
Jonah Bolden (I)
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
Fr
Brewster 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.
Poll
Pre
Wk 2
Wk 3
Wk 4
Wk 5
Wk 6
Wk 7
Wk 8
Wk 9
Wk 10
Wk 11
Wk 12
Wk 13
Wk 14
Wk 15
Wk 16
Wk 17
Wk 18
Wk 19
Final
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
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
January 14, 2015 – Norman Powell becomes the first since Toby Bailey to win four games in a row at USC.[ 22] [ 23]
January 15, 2015 – Pac-12 Conference announced that Dave Meyers will be inducted into the Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Hall of Honor at the 2015 Pac-12 Basketball tournament .[ 24]
January 31, 2015 – 1964 and 1965 NCAA Championship teams were honored at halftime during the Colorado game.[ 25]
February 14, 2015 – The 1995 NCAA Championship team was honored at halftime. Former head coach Jim Harrick , players Ed O'Bannon , Charles O'Bannon , Toby Bailey , Tyus Edney and Kris Johnson attended the game.
March 1, 2015 – The 1975 National Championship team celebrated its 40th anniversary at halftime .
March 4, 2015 – Play-by-play announcer Chris Roberts broadcast his final game at Pauley Pavilion, retiring after 23 seasons; Four seniors—Powell, Kory Alford, David Brown, and Nick Kazemi—were honored before the game on Senior Day.
March 10, 2015 – UCLA announced the construction of the Mo Ostin Basketball Center.[ 26]
April 6, 2015 – Kevon Looney foregoes his remaining collegiate eligibility and enters the 2015 NBA Draft.
See also
References
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ a b 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.
^ 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.
^ Kartje, Ryan (March 18, 2015). "UCLA basketball team confident history can repeat" . Orange County Register . Archived from the original on March 23, 2015.
^ 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.
^ Harvey, Randy (March 23, 2015). "Glass slipper looks odd on UCLA" . Houston Chronicle . Archived from the original on March 25, 2015.
^ "UCLA rallies past Stanford in double-OT thriller" . USA Today . Associated Press. January 9, 2015. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015.
^ "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.
^ a b c 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.
^ Brennan, Eamonn (March 15, 2015). "College Basketball Bubble Watch" . ESPN.com . Archived from the original on March 15, 2015.
^ 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.
^ a b 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.
^ "Larry Eustachy: Players devastated" . ESPN.com . March 15, 2015. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ "Gators finish off UCLA for 29th straight win, 4th straight Elite 8" . ESPN.com . Associated Press. March 27, 2014. Retrieved March 28, 2014 .
^ 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.
^ UCLA Basketball Announces Year-End Awards at Team Banquet , UCLABruins.com, April 28, 2015
^ 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
^ 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
^ Pac-12 Basketball Hall of Honor to Induct 2014-15 Class , Pac-12 Conference, January 15, 2015
^ 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
^ UCLA Athletics Introduces the Mo Ostin Basketball Center , UCLABruins.com, March 10, 205
External links
Venues Rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons NCAA national championships in bold; NCAA Final Four appearances in italics