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2008–09 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team

2008–09 UCLA Bruins men's basketball
UCLA Bruins logo.svg
NCAA Tournament, Second round
Conference Pacific-10 Conference
Ranking
Coaches No. 18
AP No. 18
2008–09 record 26–9 (13–5 Pac-10)
Head coach Ben Howland
Assistant coach Donny Daniels
Assistant coach Scott Duncan
Assistant coach Scott Garson
Home arena Pauley Pavilion
Seasons
← 2007–08
2009–10 →
2008–09 Pacific-10 Conference men's basketball standings
Conf     Overall
Team W   L   PCT     W   L   PCT
#15 Washington 14 4   .778     26 9   .743
#18 UCLA 13 5   .722     26 9   .743
#19 Arizona State 11 7   .611     25 10   .714
California 11 7   .611     22 11   .667
USC 9 9   .500     22 13   .629
Arizona 9 9   .500     21 14   .600
Washington State 8 10   .444     17 16   .515
Oregon State 7 11   .389     18 18   .500
Stanford 6 12   .333     20 14   .588
Oregon 2 16   .111     8 23   .258
2009 Pacific-10 Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2008–09 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team opened the season on November 3 when it took on Cal Baptist in an exhibition game in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins participated in the 2K Sports Classic, Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series, and the John R. Wooden Classic in the Honda Center.

The team opened the season with the following starters: Alfred Aboya (Center), James Keefe (Power forward), Josh Shipp (Small forward), Jrue Holiday (Shooting guard) and Darren Collison (Point guard).

The team opted not to have an October 17, 2008 Midnight Madness celebration this year. Practices began on Saturday, October 18, as they prepared for the first exhibition game on Monday, November 3. The team has been picked to finish first in the Pac-10 conference again, over Arizona State, USC and Arizona.

Freshman Tyler Trapani (#4), great-grandson of former head coach John Wooden, had joined the team.

Three players from last season's team, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute were chosen to play in the NBA. Westbrook was picked by the Seattle Sonics, now Oklahoma City Thunder, as the fourth overall pick, Love was the fifth pick by the Memphis Grizzlies, and Mbah a Moute was picked by the Milwaukee Bucks, the 37th pick in the NBA draft.


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