UCLA @ Stanford preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 8, 2017 ) Stanford 75, UCLA 89

UCLA has had to deal with its share of hardships this season, including the suspension of three top freshmen recruits who were caught shoplifting in China, the cancellation of a home game against Montana because of nearby wildfires and then back-to-back losses to Michigan and Cincinnati. But things seems to finally be looking up for Steve Alford's squad which enters Thursday night's game at Stanford in a tie for first place in the Pac-12 Conference with Utah.

The Bruins have won four straight games, including an impressive 83-75 upset of then-No. 7 Kentucky, and opened Pac-12 play with home wins over Washington State (96-82) and Washington (74-53). UCLA used a 33-point, 11-rebound effort by junior guard Aaron Holiday to win the conference opener, then clamped down defensively to rally from a 14-point second-half deficit and defeat the Huskies on Sunday, finishing the contest on an amazing 45-10 run over the last 17:11. Alford believes all the early obstacles have helped to strengthen his young team. "What I like is we've had a lot of different adversities," Alford told reporters Tuesday. "We've been down big and come back, we've had big leads and had those shrunk and still (have) been able to win. Other than the one at Michigan (a 78-69 overtime loss), we've been able to hang on and do the tough-minded things."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

ABOUT UCLA (11-3, 2-0 Pac-12): The Bruins switched to a 3-2 zone midway through the second half and held the Huskies to just 17 points after intermission and 2-of-27 3-point shooting (7.4 percent) for the game. Holiday, who leads the team in scoring (18.4 points per game), followed up his big outing against Washington State with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists while 6-8 freshman guard Kris Wilkes, like Alford a former Mr. Basketball in Indiana, added a game-high 21 points, five rebounds and two steals. Wilkes is second in scoring (13.1) while 7-foot senior center Thomas Welsh (12.6) and freshman guard Jaylen Hands (12.2) also are averaging in double figures.

ABOUT STANFORD (6-8, 0-1): The Cardinal blew a 16-point lead in the final eight minutes in their Pac-12 opening loss to rival Cal at Maples Pavilion, missing 16 free throws and scoring just four points in the final 3 1/2 minutes in the process. "We're not going to give in," head coach Jerod Haase said. "We're disappointed and discouraged by this game. The plan is to do better." Reid Travis, a returning first-team All-Pac-12 pick, leads the team in scoring (20.9) and is second in rebounds (7.1) while senior forward Michael Humphrey is also averaging in double digits (11.9) while grabbing a team best 8.9 rebounds per game.

TIP-INS

1. Holiday, younger brother of NBA guards Jrue (New Orleans) and Justin (Chicago), is the first UCLA player to have at least 33 points and 11 rebounds in a game since 1995 Final Four MVP Ed O'Bannon did it against Duke (37 points, 13 rebounds) on Feb. 26, 1995.

2. Welsh leads the team in rebounds (11.0) and has nine double-doubles this season and 28 in his career.

3. UCLA has won 19 of the last 24 meetings with Stanford but has lost two of the last three at The Farm.

PREDICTION: UCLA 86, Stanford 82