Villanova at UCLA: 5 storylines to watch for top-5 matchup

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 01: Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats dribbles the ball against Marcus Zegarowski #11 of the Creighton Bluejays in the second half at the Wells Fargo Center on February 1, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Creighton Bluejays defeated the Villanova Wildcats 76-61. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

5 of 6

Villanova Wildcats David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /

No room for both in Final Four

When all is said and done and April rolls around, it is entirely possible that both these teams will be playing basketball at the Caesars Superdome. That of course is when positioning will be decided simply by skill and achievement, but during the 17 weeks of the season, opinion has a lot to do with how teams are ranked.

With Michigan and Texas sitting at the doorstep of the top four positions – and in better conferences – whoever loses between the Wildcats and Bruins will fall as far as sixth in the AP Poll. There are too many teams this early in season who are projected to be good, yet are unproven for the loser to remain in the top five.

UCLA finished fourth in the PAC-12, and prior to making a great run in the NCAA Tournament, they had lost four straight to Colorado, Oregon, USC, and Oregon State. The highest the Bruins were ranked during the season was No.21 on Jan. 1, 2021 which was also their final appearance. Are the Bruins a top team or a product of a good run when it matters most?

The Wildcats, themselves, faltered last season. Prior to Gillespie’s injury, they had lost to quality teams like Virginia and Creighton as well as St. John’s and Butler. Without Jeremiah Robinson-Earl – their leading scorer- in the lineup the Wildcats are not as talented as they were last year. Whoever comes out on the losing side of this matchup will have a solid indication that they are not ready to compete with the top teams, yet.

Home/UCLA Bruins