UCLA basketball: Bruins’ schedule looks like a winner

The schedule for Steve Alford’s first season as UCLA’s basketball coach comes dressed for success.

The Bruins do have a date with Duke in Madison Square Garden on Dec. 19, and there is a potentially rough trip to Missouri on Dec. 7. But five of nine nonconference opponents failed to crack .500 last season, including the Bruins’ first four opponents -- Drexel, Oakland, Sacramento State and UC Santa Barbara.

UCLA will play in the Las Vegas Invitational, but only two of the other seven teams in the tournament had winning records in 2012-13. The Bruins play the first two games of the tournament at Pauley Pavilion.

While the home schedule includes Weber State and Alabama, it also includes Prairie View A&M;, which UCLA defeated by 42 points last season.

Nonconference: Drexel, Nov. 8; Oakland, Nov. 12; Sacramento State, Nov. 18; Las Vegas Invitational, Nov. 22-24-28-29; UC Santa Barbara, Dec. 3; at Missouri, Dec. 7; Prairie View A&M;, Dec.14; Duke at Madison Square Garden, Dec. 19; Weber State, Dec. 22; Alabama, Dec. 28.

Pac-12 Conference: USC, Jan. 4; Arizona, Jan. 9; Arizona State, Jan. 11; at Colorado, Jan. 16; at Utah, Jan. 18; Stanford, Jan. 23; California, Jan. 25.; at Oregon State, Jan. 30; at Oregon, Feb. 1; at USC, Feb. 8; Utah, Feb. 13; Colorado, Feb. 15; at California, Feb. 20; at Stanford, Feb. 22; Oregon, Feb. 26; Oregon State, March 1; at Washington State, March 6; at Washington, March 8; Pac-12 tournament at Las Vegas, March 12-15.

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