Men’s basketball prepares to take on No. 1 Kentucky on rivals’ home court

Ike Anigbogu was pumped.

Last year, the five-star recruit from Centennial High School had just watched UCLA upset then-No. 1 Kentucky in front of a packed Pauley Pavilion before the student section stormed the court.

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Now a freshman, Anigbogu says the No. 11 Bruins (8-0) are ready to take on the No. 1 Wildcats (7-0) for the third straight year, this time at Rupp Arena in the men’s basketball team’s first true road test of the season.

The teams split the last two meetings, with Kentucky taking the 2014 game at the CBS Sports Classic 83-44 after holding UCLA to just seven first-half points.

But both teams are more balanced and deeper than they’ve been in any of the previous matchups in the budding rivalry between college basketball’s blue bloods.

“We’re starting a rivalry game with them, so it’s going to be good to go into their place and try to get a W,” Anigbogu said.

No environment UCLA has played thus far though, or in the past three seasons, compares to Kentucky’s home floor, according to coach Steve Alford.

Winning at Rupp Arena, where the Wildcats haven’t dropped a game since losing to Arkansas in February of 2014, will require a quick adjustment for the freshmen Lonzo Ball, TJ Leaf and Anigbogu, who have combined to score a third of the Bruins’ points so far this season.

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But Alford wants the veterans to establish a foundation and a team identity for the Bruins’ season.

“They’ve got to have a calming effect on what we’re doing, and then do everything we can to be who we are,” Alford said. “The identity we’re establishing, try to establish that on the road. If we can play well in that environment this early in the season, that’s really going to help us moving forward.”

Playing a team of Kentucky’s caliber, which brought in ESPN’s top-ranked recruiting class last year, will test UCLA’s depth.

Going against the Bruins’ freshmen are Wildcat freshman guards Malik Monk and De’aaron Fox and forward Sacha Killeya-Jones.

Ball, who averages 15 points and 10 assists a game, is familiar with Monk and Fox after playing with them at the McDonald’s All-American game this past spring.

The former Chino Hills High School standout says friends or not, he’s going into Saturday afternoon’s game with the same goal and mindset.

“They are good friends of mine, but I play against everybody the same,” Ball said. “I’ve heard there are a lot of crazy fans up there. It’s going to be packed, of course, so it’s going to be fun getting up and down with them and hopefully we win.”