(9) CU Buffs men’s basketball vs. (1) UCLA Bruins
TIPOFF: Thursday, 1 p.m. MT, T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.
TV/RADIO: TV — Pac-12 Network. Radio — KOA 850 AM or 94.1 FM.
RECORDS: Colorado 17-15; UCLA 27-4.
COACHES: Colorado — Tad Boyle, 13th season (271-170, 327-236 overall); UCLA — Mick Cronin 4th season (95-34, 4605-205 overall).
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — F Tristan da Silva, 6-9, Jr. (16.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg, .511 FG%, .407 3%); F Luke O’Brien, 6-8, Jr. (6.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg); G Nique Clifford, 6-6, Jr. (6.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg); G Julian Hammond III, 6-3, So. (6.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg). UCLA — G/F Jaime Jaquez, 6-7, Sr. (17.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg); G Tyger Campbell, 5-11, R-Sr. (12.9, 4.7 apg); G Amari Bailey, 6-5, Fr. (9.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg); G David Singleton, 6-4, Gr. (9.4 ppg, .434 3%); F Adem Bona, 6-10, Fr. (7.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, .667 FG%).
NOTES: With this quarterfinal matchup, the Buffs will seek their third conference semifinal berth in the past four years. Technically, CU has played in the past three Pac-12 semifinals, as the 2020 tournament was canceled at the start of the COVID pandemic following CU’s first-round loss. … CU and the Bruins have never met in the Pac-12 tournament. … The Buffs are 0-4 when facing the top seed in the Pac-12 tournament, including a semifinal loss against Arizona last year. … UCLA has won seven of its past eight games against the Buffs. … The Bruins are ranked second in the AP top 25, and CU is 2-3 against ranked teams this season. … With 18 points in a first-round win against Washington, da Silva now has 512 points this season. He is the first CU player to surpass the 500-point mark in a season since Derrick White in 2016-17. … UCLA has won 10 consecutive games.
