# 1997–98 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team

The 1997–98 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles in the 1997–98 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team finished 3rd in the conference. The Bruins competed in the 1998 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, losing to the Kentucky Wildcats in the sweet sixteen. This was the second season for head coach Steve Lavin. Seniors Toby Bailey, J.R. Henderson, and Kris Johnson were honored as the team's co-Most Valuable Players. Johnson led UCLA in scoring with an 18.4 average, 21.1 in Pac-10 play. Baron Davis was the prize recruit of the incoming freshman class. Fellow Los Angeles prep star Schea Cotton had also committed to UCLA, but the NCAA invalidated his SAT scores, and he was not allowed to enroll.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | Site city, state |
| Exhibition ||||||
| November 13, 1997 | | vs. Silute (Lithuania) Exhibition | W 92–80 | 0–0 | Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA |
| November 19, 1997 | | vs. NBC Thunder Exhibition | W 76–74 | 0–0 | Pauley Pavilion Los Angeles, CA |
| Regular Season ||||||
| November 27, 1997 ESPN | No. 7 | vs. No. 4 North Carolina Great Alaska Shootout First Round | L 68–109 | 0–1 | Sullivan Arena (8,700) Anchorage, AK |
| November 28, 1997 | No. 7 | at Alaska Anchorage Consolation 2nd Round | W 92–68 | 1–1 | Sullivan Arena (8,700) Anchorage, AK |
| November 29, 1997 | No. 7 | vs. UAB Fifth Place Game | W 86–72 | 2–1 | Sullivan Arena (8,700) Anchorage, AK |
| December 6, 1997 FSN | No. 15 | vs. No. 8 New Mexico John R. Wooden Classic | W 69–58 | 3–1 | Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (14,274) Anaheim, CA |
| December 13, 1997 FSW2 | No. 12 | Cal State Fullerton | W 120–91 | 4–1 | Pauley Pavilion (9,724) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 18, 1997 FSW2 | No. 11 | Northern Arizona | W 90–68 | 5–1 | Pauley Pavilion (7,488) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 20, 1997 FSW2 | No. 11 | Saint Louis | W 73–67 | 6–1 | Pauley Pavilion (9,998) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 22, 1997 FSW2 | No. 11 | Boise State | W 81–75 | 7–1 | Pauley Pavilion (8,500) Los Angeles, CA |
| December 27, 1997 ESPN | No. 9 | at UNLV | W 65–57 | 8–1 | Thomas & Mack Center (17,490) Paradise, NV |
| December 30, 1997 FSN | No. 9 | Illinois | W 74–69 | 9–1 | Pauley Pavilion (12,055) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 3, 1998 FX | No. 9 | at No. 8 Arizona | L 75–87 | 9–2 (0–1) | McKale Center (14,551) Tucson, AZ |
| January 5, 1998 | No. 9 | at Arizona State | W 78–73 | 10–2 (1–1) | Wells Fargo Arena (8,075) Tempe, AZ |
| January 8, 1998 FSW2 | No. 10 | Oregon State | W 90–72 | 11–2 (2–1) | Pauley Pavilion (9,614) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 10, 1998 FX | No. 10 | Oregon | W 68–66 | 12–2 (3–1) | Pauley Pavilion (11,713) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 15, 1998 FSN | No. 8 | at California | W 74–73 | 13–2 (4–1) | Oakland Arena (10,927) Oakland, CA |
| January 17, 1998 CBS | No. 8 | at No. 7 Stanford | L 80–93 | 13–3 (4–2) | Maples Pavilion (7,510) Stanford, CA |
| January 21, 1998 FSW2 | No. 9 | USC | W 101–84 | 14–3 (5–2) | Pauley Pavilion (12,327) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 25, 1998 CBS | No. 9 | Louisville | W 88–82 | 15–3 | Pauley Pavilion (10,059) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 29, 1998 FSW2 | No. 8 | Washington State | W 88–68 | 16–3 (6–2) | Pauley Pavilion (10,024) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 31, 1998 ABC | No. 8 | Washington | W 105–94 | 17–3 (7–2) | Pauley Pavilion (11,242) Los Angeles, CA |
| February 5, 1998 FSN | No. 6 | at Oregon | L 81–97 | 17–4 (7–3) | McArthur Court (9,087) Eugene, OR |
| February 7, 1998 ABC | No. 6 | at Oregon State | W 84–75 | 18–4 (8–3) | Gill Coliseum (10,400) Corvallis, OR |
| February 12, 1998 FSN | No. 9 | No. 14 Stanford | L 81–84 | 18–5 (8–4) | Pauley Pavilion (13,079) Los Angeles, CA |
| February 14, 1998 ABC | No. 9 | California | W 87–84 | 19–5 (9–4) | Pauley Pavilion (11,497) Los Angeles, CA |
| February 18, 1998 FSW2 | No. 12 | at USC | W 82–75 $^{OT}$ | 20–5 (10–4) | Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (7,167) Los Angeles, CA |
| February 22, 1998 ABC | No. 12 | at No. 2 Duke | L 84–120 | 20–6 | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| February 26, 1998 | No. 18 | at Washington State | W 78–75 | 21–6 (11–4) | Beasley Coliseum (4,816) Corvallis, OR |
| March 01, 1998 CBS | No. 18 | at Washington | L 94–95 | 21–7 (11–5) | Hec Edmundson Pavilion (6,527) Seattle, WA |
| March 05, 1998 FSW2 | No. 19 | Arizona State | W 102–94 | 22–7 (12–5) | Pauley Pavilion (10,970) Los Angeles, CA |
| March 07, 1998 FSN | No. 19 | No. 2 Arizona | L 87–91 | 22–8 (12–6) | Pauley Pavilion (12,799) Los Angeles, CA |
| NCAA tournament ||||||
| March 13, 1998 CBS | No. 19 | vs. Miami First Round | W 65–62 | 23–8 | Georgia Dome (17,818) Atlanta, GA |
| March 15, 1998 CBS | No. 19 | vs. No. 12 Michigan Second Round | W 85–82 | 24–8 | Georgia Dome (19,423) Atlanta, GA |
| March 20, 1998 CBS | No. 19 | vs. No. 5 Kentucky Sweet Sixteen | L 68–94 | 24–9 | Tropicana Field (40,589) St. Petersburg, FL |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Pacific Time. ||||||
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