# 2020–21 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team

The 2020–21 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I season. The Bruins were led by second-year head coach Mick Cronin and played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members of the Pac-12 Conference. Tyger Campbell was named first-team all-conference, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Johnny Juzang were selected second-team All-Pac-12. Jaquez also earned Pac-12 All-Defensive team honors.
Prior to the season, five-star recruit Daishen Nix decommitted from his letter of intent with UCLA to sign instead with the NBA G League. Picked by the media to win the conference, the Bruins were 6–2 to start the season when senior Chris Smith suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the win against Utah. Their best player, who was the Pac-12 Most Improved Player and a first-team All-Pac-12 selection the season prior, was ruled out for the season. The Bruins began Pac-12 conference play with a 5–0 record after beating rival Arizona on the road. This marked the fourth consecutive time UCLA had beaten Arizona in Tucson; it was also their fourth straight win against the Wildcats overall, making this the longest win streak by either team in the series since 2009. UCLA extended their conference record to 8–0 with a 61–57 road win against California. It was their best conference start since opening 9–0 in 1982–83, and the Bruins improved to 12–2 overall, including 7–0 in games decided by five points or less or which went into overtime. In their following game against Stanford, they suffered their first Pac-12 defeat after surrendering a buzzer-beating layup on an inbounds pass in a 73–72 overtime loss.
Junior forward Jalen Hill, the team's top interior defender and among its top rebounders, left the team in early February for personal reasons. However, the Bruins added freshman forward Mac Etienne, who only enrolled in January after his prep season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. UCLA ended the regular season losing three straight. They lost the regular season finale 64–63 to USC, who made a game-winning three-point field goal with 1.4 seconds left in the game. The Bruins led by 11 at halftime and were up by eight with five minutes remaining. The loss ended their 18-game home winning streak and extended the Trojans' winning streak in their crosstown rivalry to four. UCLA played the game without their leading scorer, Juzang, who sprained his ankle. The Bruins ended with a 13–6 conference record to earn the No. 4 seed in the Pac-12 tournament. In their tourney opener in the quarterfinals, they lost 83–79 in overtime to Oregon State after leading by as many as 16 in the first half and holding a 10-point advantage at halftime. It was their fourth consecutive loss after blowing a second-half lead. Juzang returned from his injury and scored 12 points.
UCLA was selected for the NCAA tournament, opening in the First Four against Michigan State. In a reversal, the Bruins trailed by as many as 14 in the first half and 11 at halftime before rallying to win 86–80 in overtime. Jaquez finished with a career-high 27 points in UCLA's first NCAA tournament win since 2017. This was the most-watched First Four game in tournament history, averaging 3 million viewers. They defeated BYU to advance to the second round, joining fellow Pac-12 schools Colorado, Oregon, USC, and Oregon State—the Bruins' opponents in their four consecutive losses before the tournament. After winning against Abilene Christian, UCLA became the fifth First Four team to advance to the second weekend and Sweet 16. Following their overtime win against No. 2 seed Alabama and a 51–49 triumph over No. 1 seed Michigan in the East Regional Final, the Bruins became the second First Four team to advance to the Final Four, their first national semifinal since 2008.
In the Final Four, UCLA faced the top-ranked team in the country in Gonzaga, who were seeking to become the first undefeated national champion since Indiana in 1976. UCLA was a 14-point underdog, the largest Final Four point spread since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The Bulldogs had been dominant all year, winning all but one of their 30 games by double digits, including their last 27 straight. The game was close throughout and featured 19 lead changes and 15 ties. The Bruins lost 93–90 in overtime after the Bulldogs' Jalen Suggs made a 40-foot (12 m) three-point bank shot as time expired. UCLA was the first opponent to hold a second-half lead against Gonzaga in the Bulldogs' first five games of the tournament. The game was the second most-watched tournament game of the season, behind the championship game, with 14.94 million viewers and a 7.6 TV rating.

## Previous season

UCLA finished the season with a 19–12 record. After starting slowly at 8–9, they went on an 11–3 streak and finished second in the Pac-12 at 12–6 in conference play. Cronin was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year, while junior Chris Smith earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and was voted the Pac-12 Most Improved Player. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Pac-12 tournament was canceled before the Bruins' first scheduled game in the quarterfinals, and the NCAA tournament was called off as well.

## Off-season
### Departures

UCLA Departures :
| Name | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for Departure |
| Alex Olesinski | F | 6'10" | 225 | Senior | Roswell, NM | Graduated |
| Prince Ali | G | 6'4" | 195 | Senior | Bronx, NY | Graduated |
| Armani Dodson | G | 6'5" | 210 | Senior | Fontana, CA | Walk–on; Graduated |
| Isaac Wulff | G | 6'3" | 185 | Senior | Laguna Beach, CA | Walk–on; Graduated |

### Incoming Transfers

UCLA Incoming Transfers :
| Name | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Johnny Juzang | F | 6'6" | 215 | Freshman | Tarzana, CA | Transferred from Kentucky. Juzang was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility. Will have three years of remaining eligibility. |

### 2020 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Jaylen Clark SG / SF | Riverside, CA | Etiwanda (CA) | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Feb 5, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 ||||||
| Mac Etienne C | Wolfeboro, NH | Brewster Academy | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | Nov 30, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 84 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: — 247Sports: 109 ESPN: — ||||||
| 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: "UCLA 2020 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020. "2020 UCLA Bruins Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020. "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 11, 2020. ||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 25, 2020* 7:30 pm, CBSSN | No. 22 | at San Diego State | L 58–73 | 0–1 | 17 – Jaquez | 12 – Riley | 4 – Campbell | Viejas Arena (0) San Diego, CA |
| November 27, 2020* 12:00 pm, P12N | No. 22 | vs. Pepperdine | W 107–98 $^{3OT}$ | 1–1 | 26 – Smith | 12 – Smith | 7 – Campbell | Viejas Arena (0) San Diego, CA |
| December 3, 2020* 5:00 pm, P12N | | Seattle | W 78–52 | 2–1 | 17 – Campbell | 11 – Smith | 6 – Campbell | Pauley Pavilion (0) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 6, 2020 5:00 pm, P12N | | California | W 76–56 | 3–1 (1–0) | 21 – Smith | 7 – Hill | 12 – Campbell | Pauley Pavilion (0) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 9, 2020* 6:00 pm, P12N | | San Diego | W 83–56 | 4–1 | 17 – Jaquez | 10 – Tied | 5 – Campbell | Pauley Pavilion (0) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 11, 2020* 6:30 pm, P12N | | Marquette | W 69–60 | 5–1 | 18 – Jaquez | 7 – Tied | 9 – Campbell | Pauley Pavilion (0) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 15, 2020* 6:00 pm, P12N | | Long Beach State | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the LBSU program. | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the LBSU program. | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the LBSU program. | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the LBSU program. | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the LBSU program. | Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA |
| December 19, 2020* 1:15 pm, CBS | | vs. No. 20 Ohio State CBS Sports Classic | L 70–77 | 5–2 | 15 – Riley | 6 – Tied | 5 – Campbell | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (0) Cleveland, OH |
| December 31, 2020 4:00 pm, FS1 | | Utah | W 72–70 | 6–2 (2–0) | 16 – Smith | 5 – Tied | 10 – Campbell | Pauley Pavilion (0) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 2, 2021 5:00 pm, P12N | | Colorado | W 65–62 | 7–2 (3–0) | 14 – Jaquez | 7 – Bernard | 7 – Campbell | Pauley Pavilion (0) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 7, 2021 7:30 pm, ESPN | | at Arizona State | W 81–75 $^{OT}$ | 8–2 (4–0) | 22 – Riley | 13 – Riley | 5 – Campbell | Desert Financial Arena (0) Tempe, AZ |
| January 9, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN | | at Arizona Rivalry | W 81–76 | 9–2 (5–0) | 22 – Campbell | 9 – Jaquez | 2 – Campbell | McKale Center (0) Tucson, AZ |
| January 14, 2021 2:00 pm, FS1 | | Washington State | W 91–61 | 10–2 (6–0) | 17 – Juzang | 7 – Hill | 6 – Campbell | Pauley Pavilion (0) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 16, 2021 2:00 pm, P12N | | Washington | W 81–76 | 11–2 (7–0) | 20 – Bernard | 9 – Bernard | 5 – Campbell | Pauley Pavilion (0) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 21, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 24 | at California | W 61–57 | 12–2 (8–0) | 13 – Riley | 8 – Hill | 6 – Campbell | Haas Pavilion (0) Berkeley, CA |
| January 23, 2021 2:00 pm, FOX | No. 24 | at Stanford | L 72–73 $^{OT}$ | 12–3 (8–1) | 27 – Juzang | 4 – Tied | 4 – Campbell | Kaiser Permanente Arena (1) Santa Cruz, CA |
| January 28, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN | No. 23 | Oregon | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Oregon program. | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Oregon program. | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Oregon program. | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Oregon program. | Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols within the Oregon program. | Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA |
| January 30, 2021 4:00 pm, P12N | No. 23 | Oregon State | W 57–52 | 13–3 (9–1) | 16 – Riley | 10 – Riley | 4 – Campbell | Pauley Pavilion (0) Los Angeles, CA |
| February 6, 2021 7:00 pm, ESPN | No. 21 | at USC Rivalry | L 48–66 | 13–4 (9–2) | 13 – Juzang | 13 – Juzang | 4 – Tied | Galen Center (0) Los Angeles, CA |
| February 11, 2021 8:00 pm, FS1 | | at Washington State | L 73–81 | 13–5 (9–3) | 25 – Juzang | 7 – Juzang | 5 – Campbell | Beasley Coliseum (0) Pullman, WA |
| February 13, 2021 4:30 pm, P12N | | at Washington | W 64–61 | 14–5 (10–3) | 32 – Juzang | 10 – Jaquez | 4 – Tied | Alaska Airlines Arena (0) Seattle, WA |
| February 18, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | | Arizona Rivalry | W 74–60 | 15–5 (11–3) | 25 – Jaquez | 6 – Tied | 3 – Campbell | Pauley Pavilion (0) Los Angeles, CA |
| February 20, 2021 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | | Arizona State | W 80–79 | 16–5 (12–3) | 17 – Riley | 10 – Jaquez | 6 – Campbell | Pauley Pavilion (0) Los Angeles, CA |
| February 25, 2021 5:00 pm, P12N | | at Utah | W 76–61 | 17–5 (13–3) | 19 – Bernard | 8 – Juzang | 5 – Campbell | Jon M. Huntsman Center (0) Salt Lake City, UT |
| February 27, 2021 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at Colorado | L 61–70 | 17–6 (13–4) | 25 – Juzang | 8 – Jaquez | 4 – Campbell | CU Events Center (81) Boulder, CO |
| March 3, 2021 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at Oregon | L 74–82 | 17–7 (13–5) | 23 – Bernard | 6 – Clark | 8 – Campbell | Matthew Knight Arena (0) Eugene, OR |
| March 6, 2021 1:00 pm, CBS | | USC Rivalry | L 63–64 | 17–8 (13–6) | 12 – Jaquez | 7 – Bernard | 4 – Campbell | Pauley Pavilion (0) Los Angeles, CA |
| Pac-12 Tournament |||||||||
| March 11, 2021 2:30 pm, P12N | (4) | vs. (5) Oregon State Quarterfinals | L 79–83 $^{OT}$ | 17–9 | 19 – Bernard | 10 – Bernard | 5 – Campbell | T-Mobile Arena (0) Paradise, NV |
| NCAA Tournament |||||||||
| March 18, 2021 6:57 pm, TBS | (11 E) | vs. (11 E) Michigan State First Four | W 86–80 $^{OT}$ | 18–9 | 27 – Jaquez | 8 – Bernard | 4 – Campbell | Mackey Arena West Lafayette, IN |
| March 20, 2021 6:40 pm, CBS | (11 E) | vs. (6 E) No. 23 BYU First Round | W 73–62 | 19–9 | 27 – Juzang | 8 – Jaquez | 5 – Campbell | Hinkle Fieldhouse (1,250) Indianapolis, IN |
| March 22, 2021 2:15 pm, TBS | (11 E) | vs. (14 E) Abilene Christian Second Round | W 67–47 | 20–9 | 17 – Juzang | 12 – Riley | 5 – Bernard | Bankers Life Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN |
| March 28, 2021 4:15 pm, TBS | (11 E) | vs. (2 E) No. 5 Alabama Sweet Sixteen | W 88–78 $^{OT}$ | 21–9 | 17 – Tied | 9 – Clark | 5 – Campbell | Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN |
| March 30, 2021 6:57 pm, TBS | (11 E) | vs. (1 E) No. 4 Michigan Elite Eight | W 51–49 | 22–9 | 28 – Juzang | 9 – Bernard | 4 – Jaquez | Lucas Oil Stadium (7,515) Indianapolis, IN |
| April 3, 2021 5:34 pm, CBS | (11 E) | vs. (1 W) No. 1 Gonzaga Final Four | L 90–93 $^{OT}$ | 22–10 | 29 – Juzang | 10 – Riley | 7 – Campbell | Lucas Oil Stadium (8,131) Indianapolis, IN |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Pacific Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final |
| AP | 22 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 24 | 23 | 21 | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | Not released |
| Coaches | 21 | 21 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 24 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 7 |

## Honors
### Preseason award watchlists

* Chris Smith, Naismith Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, Julius Erving Award

### Pac-12 Player of the Week

* February 15, 2021 – Johnny Juzang

### Postseason awards

* All-Pac-12 Team
    Tyger Campbell, First team
    Jaime Jaquez Jr., Second team
    Johnny Juzang, Second team
* Pac-12 All-Defensive Team
    Jaime Jaquez Jr.
* NCAA East Region All-Tournament Team
    Tyger Campbell
    Jaime Jaquez Jr.
    Johnny Juzang, MOP
* Final Four All-Tournament Team
    Johnny Juzang
* NCAA Elite 90 Academic Recognition Award
    Russell Stong

## NCAA Tournament Statistics

| Record | UCLA | OPP |
| Scoring | 455 | 409 |
| Field Goals-Att | 170-370 | 158-352 |
| 3-pt. Field Goals-Att | 45-115 | 30-114 |
| Free Throws-Att | 70-102 | 63-101 |
| Rebounds | 207 | 208 |
| Assists | 83 | 81 |
| Turnovers | 46 | 69 |
| Steals | 26 | 25 |
| Blocked Shots | 20 | 21 |