UCLA vs Arizona: 2024-25 College basketball game preview, TV schedule

UCLA and Arizona head to Phoenix for this Hall of Fame Rivalry matchup between two former Pac-12 foes; can the Bruins continue a hot streak or do the Wildcats break through their recent struggles?

TV schedule: Saturday, December 14, 3:00 pm ET. ESPN2

Arena: Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona

Early in the season UCLA (8-1) lost a tough test against New Mexico but have played really well since then. The Bruins beat up on a bunch of teams out in Los Angeles before getting a major upset win at a ranked Oregon squad last weekend. This team has played far from perfect and we’ll have to see how they fare against more regular competition, but things are looking up for Mick Cronin’s program again.

Former Oregon State forward Tyler Bilodeau (13.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg) has proved to be the missing piece for these Bruins and has had a major hand in those recent wins. The Bruins leaned heavily last season on younger talent, and are still getting great contributions from sophomore Eric Dailey (12.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg), who’s shown solid shooting touch in the opening month. Fellow sophomore Sebastian Mack (10.6 ppg) was also a big part of last season and has taken a decent step forward in his second collegiate campaign.

You’ll find UCLA at #24 on the AP Top 25, though they actually sit 14th in both KenPom and the most recent NET rankings. Earlier in the season, the Bruins had a putrid stretch on offense, but their defense has carried them throughout this 7-game winning streak. Aside from a few missteps, that defense has significantly limited the opposition, while the shot-making has looked better, especially last week in that win against the Ducks.

A bitter former conference rival awaits them in Arizona (4-4), and bitterness describes not just the Wildcats’ feelings about this matchup. The start to Arizona’s season has been extremely bitter, as this team has now dropped four of their last six contests. They lost by double-digits to Duke and Wisconsin and dropped a pair of winnable games at the Battle 4 Atlantis, with this resume looking remarkably shoddy despite the talent on this team.

Far from the only talent, a lot of the conversation starts with Caleb Love (14.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.1 apg), the senior guard who’s looking to end his career on a high note after last year’s success and previous gains at North Carolina. Former Oakland forward Trey Townsend (11.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg) was one of the offseason’s most notable additions after several changes in this rotation, though the Wildcats are hoping for even more out of him ahead. Another of the five Wildcats averaging double-digits is Jaden Bradley (12.0 ppg, 3.1 apg), who has taken a demonstrative role in this offense as a junior.

Unranked in recent weeks after those tough showings, Arizona still sits 28th in KenPom, though their NET figure has tumbled down to 46th in the nation. There has been a lot of inconsistency for the Wildcats in this opening stretch of the season, losing all of their contests against Top 100 foes. The offense shows up sometimes, but the shots didn’t fall in any of those losses and the Wildcats need more consistency from Love and the rest of this talented crew if they’re going to turn this around.

Even though the game is being played in Phoenix, much closer to Arizona’s campus, it’s hard to call them favorites in this game based on how their season has gone. They simply haven’t gotten the job done against legitimate opposition and these Bruins do a lot of things right. A big factor is going to be shot-making and Arizona really needs to do what they can to alter UCLA’s offense.

Love should be the best player on the court and Arizona needs to find ways to let him cook against this strong defensive backcourt. The Bruins will be ready for this challenge and win this game if they can get a push from their offense like they did against Oregon. On the other side, the Wildcats desperately need to prove that they are for real, and we’re expecting just enough to get them over the hump in Phoenix.

Prediction: Arizona 75, UCLA 74