UCLA basketball braces for more hostile road | College News

When Tyler Bilodeau, Kobe Johnson and the opposite UCLA starters strategy heart court docket for tipoff towards Nebraska on Saturday inside Pinnacle Bank Arena, the roars from a sold-out crowd washing over them, one factor will likely be thunderously clear.

They’re not in Gill Coliseum, Maples Pavilion or any of the opposite sleepy Pac-12 arenas anymore.

Noise will likely be a fixed companion as UCLA navigates its first Big Ten schedule. Nine convention groups are averaging at the very least 10,000 followers for home video games, with Indiana’s average of 16,514 main the way in which. Purdue ranks second with 14,876 followers per home sport, adopted carefully by Nebraska (14,848), Michigan State (14,797) and Illinois (14,789).

“I don’t think I can name a single Big Ten stadium where their fans don’t come and, like, show out and support and they’re talking trash,” mentioned UCLA junior guard Skyy Clark, a veteran of the expertise after having spent his freshman season at Illinois. “It definitely gets loud and rowdy, so it’s a fun environment to play in.”

Well, possibly not at all times for the guests.

Nebraska (11-2 total, 1-1 Big Ten) has received 19 consecutive video games on its home court docket during a streak that started in December 2023. With a victory over the No. 15 Bruins (11-2, 2-0), the Cornhuskers would tie the college document of 20 straight home wins they set twice beforehand.

UCLA coach Mick Cronin understands the problem that awaits after having taken Cincinnati to Pinnacle Bank Arena in December 2014, when his Bearcats misplaced in double extra time. At the time, Cronin referred to as the 15,147-seat facility “probably, outside of Louisville, the best arena I’ve ever been in.”

The ambiance Saturday will definitely be more raucous than what the Bruins skilled within the Pac-12, the place some libraries may need been louder than the basketball arenas.

Often it appeared as if the wrestling and basketball banners hanging from the rafters inside Oregon State’s Gill Coliseum outnumbered the followers.

Washington State gamers as soon as made a behavior of venturing into the stands to personally thank followers who confirmed up inside Beasley Coliseum, the goodwill gesture needing solely a jiffy to finish.

At Maples Pavilion, UCLA blue usually eclipsed Stanford crimson.

“There’s some schools — obviously we’re not in their league anymore — you go play in those places and there’s 1,000 people and it’s cold and you’re paranoid because your guys can’t get going, there’s just no energy in the building,” Cronin mentioned this week.

Arizona was the one Pac-12 staff to average at the very least 10,000 followers for home video games during the convention’s last season. Oregon State, Stanford and Washington State averaged fewer than 4,000 followers, with California barely topping that threshold at 4,022.

There will likely be a carryover impact within the Big Ten given that every one 4 newcomers from the Pac-12 rank within the backside 5 in home attendance, with USC’s average of 3,872 the bottom and UCLA rating subsequent to final with an average of 4,830.

UCLA guards Kobe Johnson (0), Lazar Stefanovic (10), Dylan Andrews (2) and Skyy Clark (55) have fun beating Gonzaga on the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Dec. 28.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The Bruins can anticipate more than double these figures nearly each time they board a aircraft for the Midwest or the East Coast.

“In those college towns,” Cronin mentioned, “it’s the only show in town, so they get great attendance. … So the energy won’t be a problem in the building in those places. You better play with toughness, you better travel your defense because teams with home crowds like that tend to play harder and I think it’s fool’s gold to think you’re going to go into those type of places and score 80 points.”

The Bruins may also need to pack their winter coats. The forecast for Lincoln, Neb., on Saturday calls for a high of 24 levels, giving Cronin a probability to make use of the ski masks and gloves his brother, Dan, purchased him for Christmas.

“I was like, ‘Yo, man, I live in Southern California,’ ” Mick Cronin mentioned, “and he’s like, ‘You’re in the Big Ten.’ How about that? The guy’s a comedian.”

Injury updates

UCLA’s Eric Dailey Jr., sporting a face masks, relishes the second after making a three-pointer towards Gonzaga on the Intuit Dome on Dec. 28.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Cronin mentioned ahead William Kyle III was in all probability out for the sport towards Nebraska however might return as quickly as Tuesday towards Michigan after present process surgical procedure for an undisclosed situation.

Forward Eric Dailey Jr. is predicted to put on a masks “for the foreseeable future” after absorbing a shot to the face towards North Carolina final month, Cronin mentioned.

In his first sport sporting the masks, towards Gonzaga, Dailey made 4 of 5 three-pointers. “He may not take it off the rest of the year,” Cronin cracked.

Etc.

Former UCLA ahead Berke Buyuktuncel is averaging 7.9 factors and a team-leading 6.6 rebounds in his first season at Nebraska. “I’m happy for him,” Cronin mentioned. “He’s definitely gotten stronger and I think he fits into what they do.” Bruins ahead Lazar Stefanovic mentioned he seemed ahead to reuniting together with his former roommate. “The thing I loved about him was when we would play video games, he would make, like, all the jokes and stuff and everybody in the apartment would have a lot of fun with it,” Stefanovic mentioned. “And he was good at video games.” … UCLA made 42.9% of its three-pointers in December, raising its accuracy from long vary for the season to 37.1%. “The advantage we have in our starting lineup,” Cronin mentioned, “is everybody can shoot.”