Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez discuss UCLA's mindset towards Pac-12 regular season title

Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez know that this year’s UCLA team is on the precipice of doing something that hasn’t happened in a decade: winning the Pac-12 regular season title. But both of them are emphasizing the point of staying focused on the task at hand.

That means keeping their eyes on their game Thursday against Utah.

“You always take it one game at a time,” Campbell said during media availability Tuesday. “We’re just focused on Utah right now. But I’ve been here for four years and we’ve never won the conference. So of course that’s on my mind. That’s the goal but we’re trying to win on Thursday.”

After playing the Utes, the Bruins will play at Colorado before ending their season with two home games against Arizona State and Arizona. The season finale against the Wildcats will be of particular importance since Arizona is in second place currently to UCLA.

“It’s not an easy two games to play at,” Jaquez said. “I know Utah and Colorado are very fun environments and difficult environments to play in as well. We just got to understand that. We got to take it one game at a time. That’s something that we’ve done all four years that I’ve been here.”

Two wins against the Arizona schools would also give UCLA a perfect 17-0 record at Pauley Pavilion this year. When asked what it would mean to accomplish that, Jaquez was fairly blunt.

“It would mean that we close out the season with a perfect home record,” Jaquez said. “As long as we get the national championship, that’s all that really matters to me.”

Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez leading UCLA to best regular season in years

This UCLA team has national championship potential, but it will only go as far as Jamie Jaquez and Tyger Campbell are able to take them. The two make up not only one of the most talented duos in the country, but also one of the most mature and experienced.

Jaquez leads the Bruins in points with 16.8 per game and rebounds at 8.1 per contest. Both numbers rank fourth overall in the conference. Campbell, on pace to finish in position to land a spot on the Pac-12 third team for the third straight season, is averaging a career-high 12.2 points per game to go along with 4.8 assists. Those 4.8 assists rank fourth in the Pac-12.

They aren’t doing it alone, though. Four other players are averaging at least 8.0 points on the season. That includes Jaylen Clark, who has emerged as an all-conference caliber player in his first season as a starter. He is averaging 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds to go along with a Pac-12-high 2.7 steals per game.

Clark also recently addressed how impressive winning the Pac-12 regular season title would be for the program.

“That’s the reason we came here,” Clark said. “I know it ain’t been done since 2013. That’d be a huge accomplishment for us.”