Central Arkansas @ UCLA preview
Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom
UCLA hosts Central Arkansas on Wednesday night in its home opener, but it’s what’s been happening off the court that’s dominated the early-season headlines so far for the 18th-ranked Bruins. Three UCLA freshmen – LiAngelo Ball, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley – were arrested and jailed on shoplifting allegations last week on the team’s visit to China and the trio was released and flew home Tuesday after intervention from President Donald Trump and the U.S. State Department.
Ball, Hill and Riley were in custody and missed UCLA’s 63-60 season-opening win Saturday over Georgia Tech in Shanghai, and Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said Tuesday that the matter now “has been resolved to the satisfaction of the Chinese authorities.” The rest of the Bruins flew home Sunday, and on Wednesday coach Steve Alford announced at a news conference that the three players have been suspended from the program "indefinitely." A source close to the Pac-12 told The Associated Press that the conference left all disciplinary decisions in the matter up to UCLA. All three players are key members of the Bruins’ highly-regarded six-man freshman class, and Ball was expected to contribute immediately in the backcourt and Hill and Riley were counted on to step into the frontcourt rotation.
TV: 11 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
ABOUT CENTRAL ARKANSAS (1-1): The Bears, of the Southland Conference, bounced back from a 107-66 season-opening loss at No. 24 Baylor by routing the University of the Ozarks 99-51 on Sunday. Jordan Howard, a 5-11 senior guard who entered the season as the Southland’s top returning scorer, is off to a sizzling start, averaging 23 points on 60.7-percent shooting. Backcourt mate Mathieu Kamba is averaging 11 points, while Tanner Schmit, Jared Chatham and Hayden Koval share the team rebounding lead with 3.5 apiece.
ABOUT UCLA (1-0): Two other members of the freshman class, Kris Wilkes and Jaylen Hands, started in the backcourt and paced the Bruins with 18 and 14 points, respectively, against Georgia Tech while also grabbing four rebounds apiece. Meanwhile, senior forward Thomas Welsh is back as the team’s lone returning starter and looks to be as strong as ever inside with 10 points, eight rebounds, three blocks and a pair of steals in the opener. Junior Aaron Holiday, who decided against entering the NBA Draft last spring, has taken over point guard duties from Lonzo Ball and overcame four turnovers to contribute 11 points and seven assists vs. Georgia Tech.
TIP-INS
1. UCLA went 16-1 at home last season, losing only to No. 14 Arizona (96-85) on Jan. 21.
2. The Bruins, who ranked second nationally last year in scoring at 89.8 points per game, had 63 in their opener, marking the first time they have failed to reach 65 since a 75-63 loss to California on Feb. 25, 2016.
3. Last season, UCLA shattered the single-season Pac-12 assists record with 771 (21.4 per outing) but had only 11 – to go along with 14 turnovers – against Georgia Tech.
PREDICTION: UCLA 100, Central Arkansas 71