Pac 12 Basketball: Offensive showcase set to take over Pauley Pavilion?

Can the UCLA Bruins get revenge on the Oregon Ducks in a Pac 12 basketball battle on Thursday evening?

UCLA was handed their first loss of the season at the end of December when they made the trek to Eugene to face off against the Oregon Ducks. Dillon Brooks hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to knock the Bruins off their undefeated perch.

On Thursday night, though, the Bruins are looking for a little revenge, this time in Westwood at Pauley Pavilion.

With the Ducks and Arizona Wildcats starting to run away at the top of the Pac 12, this is a critical match-up for the Bruins if they want to remain in the mix for the conference regular season title. Meanwhile, Dana Altman’s team could use a quality road win to boost their case for a number one seed.

So what will decide this match-up? Defense.

We know that both of these teams like to play at a fast tempo and are capable of dropping 90 plus points on any given night.

More from Busting Brackets

That is especially the case with UCLA, who maintains a lethal amount of weapons including Lonzo Ball, Aaron Holiday, T.J. Leaf, Bryce Alford, Isaac Hamilton and Thomas Welsh, among others. Even though the Bruins have lost all three of their games to top-of-the-run Pac-12 teams, their offense remains lethal and potent.

Oregon is only averaging 79 points per game, but ever since Dillon Brooks has returned to full form following an offseason foot injury, the Ducks have had more spacing, versatility, and balance on that end of the floor. Tyler Dorsey is starting to play more consistent, Jordan Bell has greatly improved on that end of the floor, Payton Pritchard and Dylan Ennis are nice role players and Chris Boucher is dangerous.

But again, this game will be decided by who can get the most stops when it matters. The Bruins have major defensive issues, while the Ducks are quietly a better defensive unit than offensive unit. Altman’s squad only gives up 63.5 points per game, which is good for 23rd in the nation.

Let’s remember, though, they don’t play offenses at the level of UCLA on a nightly basis, so this will be a test to see how elite this Oregon defense actually is.

On the flip side, will the Bruins be ready to play? Will they finally get some necessary stops? Can they build some momentum heading into March? Has Leaf, Ball, and Alford gotten any better on that end of the floor since their last big game when they were torn up by Arizona at home? Is it just a matter of more effort?

Next: Big 12 causing big changes to top 25

These are all major question marks that will be answered on Thursday night. But regardless of the result, this could be one of the most fun games to watch all season.

Home/Oregon Ducks