UCLA got a huge win last weekend, but still has a lot more to do. Can a win over the best team in the conference give them the boost needed to get back in the picture?
TV schedule: Thursday, February, 8, 10:00 p.m. ET. ESPN
Arena: Mckale Center in Tuscon, Arizona
In the latest edition of Busting Bracket’s Bracketology, the Pac-12 received four projected bids, with the inclusion of the Washington Huskies. One team still not projected to be in is UCLA 16-7 (6-4), despite the big 82-79 win over rival USC.
The two players who’ve led the Bruins all season did so once again, with Aaron Holiday putting up 23 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Thomas Welsh was right there with him, with 21 points and eight boards. The freshmen duo of Kris Wilkes and Jaylen Hands combined to score 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
UCLA are on a three game winning streak, but it hasn’t overcome that dreaded three game skid right before, where each loss came to a team nowhere near the bubble. But the team is riding positive momentum, and looks to get their biggest win to date.
Arizona 19-5 (9-2) is standing on top of the Pac-12 standings after the Trojan’s loss, despite losing themselves to Washington. The Wildcats wasted a career performance from Dusan Ristic, who had a team-high 21 points and 10 rebounds. DeAndre Ayton also had a double-double with 19 and 12, and Allonzo Trier had 20 points as well. Problem was that the rest of the cast combined for 15 points, along with giving up 25 points to Noah Dickerson of Washington.
Even with the defeat, Arizona is in a safe position when it comes to Bracketology, with a four seed. They’re the only Pac-12 team considered “safe” when it comes to an at-large bid. Even then, the weakness of the league makes a skid of a few games problematic, just like what happened to UCLA.
Next: Pac-12 mid-season recap and awards
Because of the unbalanced scheduling, this is the only matchup between the teams, making this a must-win for the Bruins. The question will be whether Welsh can contain Ayton enough, or if the one-and-done Wildcat reeks havoc all night.
Prediction: Arizona 86 – UCLA 75