Hofstra @ UCLA preview

The Mick Cronin Era of UCLA basketball is off to a perfect 4-0 start with an average margin of victory of 13 points. The Bruins conclude their season opening five-game homestand Thursday night when they host Colonial Athletic Association-favorite Hofstra.

The Bruins raced out to a 25-6 lead in the first 13-plus minutes of their most recent victory, a 76-61 win over Southern Utah on Monday night, relying on Cronin's trademark strong defense in the process. UCLA held the Thunderbirds to 35.7 shooting, forced 17 turnovers that resulted in 18 points and finished in double digits in both steals (11) and blocked shots (10). Still, Cronin wasn't happy, especially with an offense that finished with 15 turnovers. "We're nowhere near the machine we need to become," Cronin told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. "I look at teams like Alabama and Clemson (in college football) and the (New England) Patriots, and they're just machines. We've got to become a machine. Never look at the scoreboard. You've got to play 40 minutes the right way all the time. We have a lot of growth to do."

TV: 11 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

ABOUT HOFSTRA (2-2): The Pride, who won a school-record 27 games last season, comes in off a 111-69 home win over New York Tech on Friday following a 86-71 loss at Bucknell two nights earlier. Senior guard Tareq Coburn leads the team in scoring (15 points per game) while connecting on 13-of-28 3-pointers, one of five players averaging in double figures. Guards Eli Pemberton and Jalen Ray are tied for second in scoring at 14.5 points per outing while senior point guard Desure Buie is averaging 13.3 points and is tied for 13th nationally in assists with 7.3 per game.

ABOUT UCLA (4-0): Guard Chris Smith scored a career-high 20 points in the win against Southern Utah while Jalen Hill added 17 points and eight rebounds. The 6-foot-9 Smith leads the team in scoring (15.5), is second in rebounding (6.0) and has connected on 6-of-12 3-pointers and all 14 of his free throws. Hill is second in scoring (13.0) while grabbing a team-best 8.3 rebounds per game, and guards Prince Ali (11.5 points) and Tyger Campbell (10.3) also are averaging in double figures.

TIP-INS

1. UCLA leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense (60.3) and is second in both rebounding margin (plus-9.5) and blocks per game (6.0).

2. The Bruins lead the series with Hofstra, 2-0, with the most recent victory coming in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament in Greensboro, N.C., 61-48.

3. After Thursday's game, UCLA flies to Hawaii to play BYU in the first round of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational on Monday night.

PREDICTION: UCLA 80, Hofstra 64