UCLA men’s basketball continued to strengthen its nonconference schedule next season, adding a two-year home-and-home series against Gonzaga to its calendar, UCLA Athletics announced Wednesday.
The Bruins will first square off against the Bulldogs on Dec. 13 at Pauley Pavilion before heading north to Spokane, Wash. in 2015 for the second game of the series.
“(Gonzaga coach) Mark Few has built a strong and consistent program in Spokane, and we know this will be a very entertaining matchup for our fans in Pauley Pavilion,” said coach Steve Alford in a press release. “Playing Gonzaga will add to what we already believe is a very competitive nonconference schedule next season.”
That competitive nonconference schedule also includes national title runner-up Kentucky, which UCLA will play in Chicago on Dec. 20, as well as the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas Nov. 26-28. In the Bahamas, UCLA will be part of an eight-team field that includes Florida, North Carolina, Butler, Georgetown, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Alabama-Birmingham. Four of those teams made the NCAA tournament in 2014, as did both Kentucky and Gonzaga.
For comparison, UCLA’s 2013 nonconference schedule featured just two teams – Duke and Weber State – that reached the tournament.
Compiled by Kevin, Bowman, Bruin Sports senior staff.