Long Beach State Men’s Basketball will visit the No. 9-ranked UCLA Bruins on Monday, November 16, 2026, at 7 p.m. The game will take place at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles and will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.
This is the first meeting between Long Beach State and UCLA since 2022. The Beach will seek their second victory ever against UCLA and their first win in Pauley Pavilion, aiming for their first Top 10 victory since defeating No. 9 Pittsburgh in 2011.
Long Beach State comes off a narrow 62-59 home win over Pacific, led by senior guard Jack Payne who scored 18 points, recorded a career-high five steals, and led the team in rebounds and assists. Earlier in the season, the Beach nearly upset Utah in a 66-63 road loss, with strong scoring from newcomers McCaden Adams and Yohann Sissoko.
The team is in a rebuilding phase with only 3 percent of last season’s scoring returning. Long Beach State has welcomed 13 newcomers this season, with key returning players including Jack Payne, junior forward JJ Chaikovsky, and guard Christian Jones. The program also added former Arizona State and Rice assistant Greg Howell and promoted Jacob Eyman to a fourth assistant coach role.
Long Beach State faces a challenging early season schedule with six of their first seven games on the road, finishing November with a multi-team event in Miami.
CSB Take
This game against the highly ranked UCLA Bruins represents a significant test for Long Beach State Men’s Basketball early in the season. The Beach are navigating a near-total roster overhaul, relying on veteran leadership from Jack Payne and the immediate impact of a deep group of newcomers. Victory over a top-10 team would mark a major milestone in the program’s rebuilding process and provide momentum for the remainder of the season.
Source: Original report
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