ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The No. 2-ranked Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team (23-1, 13-1 Big Ten) returns to Ann Arbor for a Valentine’s Day matchup and “White Out” at Crisler Center against UCLA (17-7, 9-4 Big Ten).
Tipoff is set for 12:45 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 14).
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Fans are encouraged to wear white to the game, and the first 5,000 will receive a white rally towel, presented by Coca-Cola.
The Bruins, who have not played since Feb. 7, have won five of their last six games.
Their only loss was a 98-97 overtime defeat to Indiana at Pauley Pavilion.
UCLA boasts a strong home record of 14-1 but struggles on the road at 3-6.
Michigan last faced UCLA inside Crisler Arena during the 2017-18 season on Dec. 9, 2017 — nearly eight years ago.
In that game, Michigan rallied from a 15-point second-half deficit to force overtime and won 78-69.
Moritz Wagner led with 23 points, Charles Matthews added 20, and Zavier Simpson contributed 15 points and four steals.
Last season, Michigan closed its West Coast trip with a 94-75 win over No. 22 UCLA at Pauley Pavilion.
Vladislav Goldin scored a career-high 36 points, and Tre Donaldson added 20 points, including six three-pointers.
Michigan’s current 23-1 record is the best start in program history, surpassing the 20-1 starts of the 2013 and 2019 teams.
The Wolverines have won 10 or more Big Ten games in 13 of the past 15 seasons.
This season, Michigan has recorded 19 wins by 10 or more points, 12 by 20 or more, nine by 30 or more, seven by 40 or more (a Big Ten record), and one by 50 or more (a 102-50 win over La Salle).
After their 14-0 start was snapped by Wisconsin, the men in maize have won nine straight games, including five on the road and back-to-back wins over top-10 opponents.
Head coach Dusty May became the fastest coach in Michigan history to reach 50 wins, achieving the milestone in his second season and 61st game.
Michigan’s “Big Three” — Yaxel Lendeborg (14.3 points, 7.7 rebounds per game), Morez Johnson Jr. (13.5 points, 7.3 rebounds), and Aday Mara (11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds) — account for nearly 45% of the team’s scoring and 56% of its rebounding.
Lendeborg has grabbed 45 rebounds over his last four games, averaging 11.2 rebounds per game, including three double-doubles and a season-high 14 boards at Ohio State.
Elliot Cadeau has posted six or more assists in six straight games and leads the Wolverines with 5.5 assists per game. He has recorded at least five assists in 14 games this season.
Trey McKenney has embraced his role as Michigan’s “Sixth Man,” scoring in double figures in seven straight games and raising his season average to 10.2 points in 21 minutes per game.
In the last game, L.J. Cason delivered a career-high 18 points along with three assists and four steals in Michigan’s second-half comeback win at Northwestern.