Rider Broncs vs. UCLA Bruins Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 4th 2024

Preview and Prediction

The top-ranked team in college basketball history, No. 22 UCLA, is aiming to start a comeback from a disappointing end to its final Pac-12 Conference season as it ushers in a new era on Monday in Los Angeles against visiting Rider.

UCLA, a winner of 38 regular-season conference titles, concluded its time in the league with a lackluster 16-17 overall record last season. The Bruins enter their first season as members of the Big Ten Conference with a revamped roster and renewed expectations under sixth-year head coach Mick Cronin.

"When you accept the job at UCLA, my responsibility is to compete for national championships," Cronin stated at Big Ten media days, referring to the program's 11 national titles. "I embraced that challenge and will continue to do so."

Under Cronin's leadership, the Bruins have reached the Sweet 16 or further in three of the last four seasons, with the exception being the 2019-20 season when the NCAA Tournament was cancelled due to the pandemic. However, UCLA is coming off its worst season under Cronin and only its third losing season in the last 20 years.

To address the disappointment of last season, Cronin and his staff have brought in a number of transfers, including standout defender Kobe Johnson from crosstown rival Southern California, Eric Dailey Jr. from Oklahoma State, Skyy Clark from Louisville, and forward Tyler Bilodeau from Oregon State.

"We needed more experience and leadership," Cronin explained of the decision to bring in these new players. "Kobe Johnson is a huge addition for us. I would be surprised if he doesn't become an (All-Big Ten) player when it matters in the postseason."

Johnson and his fellow newcomers join a returning core led by Dylan Andrews, who emerged as a star in the latter half of last season and led the team with 12.9 points per game. He scored 21 or more points in four of the final six games.

UCLA also brings back Sebastian Mack, who averaged 12.1 points per game as a freshman, and Lazar Stefanovic, who contributed 11.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

The newly-formed Bruins will have their first test against Rider, a team that has never faced UCLA before. The Broncs will travel to Los Angeles as part of a two-game trip to California, which also includes a game against the University of San Diego on November 6th.

Rider begins the season with its own notable transfer addition, swingman Zion Cruz. A four-star recruit and top-100 prospect in the 2022 class according to 247Sports.com, Cruz joins Rider after a lackluster season at DePaul and a year at Pratt Community College in Kansas.

Cruz averaged 14.6 points per game in junior college and will be a key part of the team's efforts to fill the scoring gap left by last season's leading scorer, Mervin James, who averaged 18.9 points per game for the 15-17 Broncs.

"This will be a team effort. It's not about one individual," Rider coach Kevin Baggett told the Rider News. "It's about all the individuals coming together to help the new players understand our system, our terminology, and the importance of playing with intensity."

PREDICTION

Rider Broncs

UCLA Bruins

Rider Broncs vs. UCLA Bruins Recap NOV 4TH 2024

Tyler Bilodeau scored 18 points, Kobe Johnson added 12 points and eight rebounds, and No. 22-ranked UCLA cruised past visiting Rider in Monday's season-opening contest in Los Angeles, 85-50.

The Bruins never trailed, jumping out to an immediate 6-0 lead against their visitors from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The UCLA lead reached double-digits midway through the first half on a Johnson 3-pointer.

From there, the Bruins never looked back. Their advantage never slipped to fewer than 19 points in the second half and remained at 30 or more for the final 4:19 when Dylan Andrews' 3-pointer marked the end of a seven-point burst for the UCLA guard.

Andrews produced half of his 14 points over a 1:15 stretch in the second half that slammed the door on Rider and made Andrews one of four Bruins to score in double figures. Sebastian Mack added 12 points off the bench.

Andrews also distributed six assists, just shy of matching teammate Skyy Clark's game high of seven.

Oklahoma State transfer Eric Dailey Jr. finished with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor. His effort helped UCLA to a 34-of-65 shooting performance as a team, which included going 24 of 36 from inside the 3-point arc.

Dailey played a solid all-around game in his UCLA debut, matching Johnson's game-high eight rebounds, blocking a shot and making a steal. Johnson and Bilodeau each picked up two steals.

The Broncs got 15 points from T.J. Weeks Jr., who shot 4-for-7 from 3-point range. The rest of the Rider lineup shot a combined 1 of 13 from beyond the arc.

Rider's only other double-figure point scorer, Alaaeddine Boutayeb, scored 14 points in 17 minutes of action. No other Bronco scored more than five points.

Rider shot just 20 of 63 from the floor and a dismal 5 of 13 from the free-throw line. Boutayeb was 4 of 6 at the foul line; the rest of the Broncs were 1 of 7.