UCLA Men’s Basketball Announces Full 2022 Nonconference Schedule
The Bruins' campaign on the hardwood is quickly approaching and the program has released the first 14 games of its official 2022-2023 schedule.
UCLA men's basketball is set to return for regular season action at Pauley Pavilion against Sacramento State on Nov. 7. Over the following month, the blue and gold will face off against presumptive top-25 competition in the Continental Tire Main Event and CBS Sports Classic with Illinois, Baylor, Virginia and Kentucky all pegged to match up against UCLA in some capacity.
The former of the two events will take place on Nov. 18 and Nov. 20, with the Bruins guaranteed to battle the Fighting Illini, and then would face the winner or loser of the clash between the Bears and Cavaliers. Maryland and Kentucky are the final high-profile non-conference affair on the slate.
The Bruins have loads of recent clashes against the Wildcats, and the Dec. 17 battle at Madison Square Garden between the blue bloods will likely add to their storied history.
"Our team is going to be tested early, and this non-conference schedule will provide some challenges," coach Mick Cronin said in a statement. "Players have chosen to attend UCLA because they want to be involved in high-level college basketball matchups. This schedule is no exception. When you look at our November games in Las Vegas and the two-game road swing along the East Coast, facing Maryland and Kentucky, we will have opportunities to see where we stand before getting to the bulk of our Pac-12 schedule."
The matchup against the Terrapins will be UCLA's first look at life in the Big Ten. In a Dec. 14 trip to College Park, the blue and gold will play in their only true road non-conference game currently on the schedule.
UCLA's scheduled games against Illinois and Maryland will allow Cronin & co. to get a look at their future conference foes ahead of the 2024-2025 campaign.
The rest of the released schedule is made up of games against local opponents and mid-major challengers from across the country. From Nov. 7 to Nov. 14., UCLA will host Sacramento State, Long Beach State and Norfolk State.
Later in the month, on Nov. 23 and Nov. 27, the Bruins will also play Pepperdine and Bellarmine at Pauley Pavilion. The final two non-conference home contests will be against Denver on Dec. 10 and UC Davis on Dec. 21.
Stanford and Oregon also show up on the revealed portion of the 2022-2023 schedule, with the Pac-12 conference going up to 20 conference games. Early conference pairings – away against the Cardinal on Dec. 1 and home against the Ducks on Dec. 4 – will take place in between the non-conference bouts.
UCLA will have a tune-up exhibition at Pauley Pavilion against Concordia on Nov. 2 in what will be the first look at freshmen guard Amari Bailey, guard Dylan Andrews, wing Jack Seidler, wing Abramo Canka, Evan Manjikian and big man Adem Bona.
Follow Royer on Twitter at @thebenroyer
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @SI_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @SI.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube
Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA men's basketball stories: UCLA Men's Basketball on Sports Illustrated
