Arizona Basketball faces No. 24 UCLA looking to capture their first-ranked victory of the season. Read more for a full Arizona vs UCLA prediction and preview.
Arizona basketball (4-4, 0-0 Big 12) will face the No. 24 UCLA Bruins (8-1, 0-0 Big 10) on Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. MST (3 p.m. EST). This will be Arizona’s first game in their current Big 12 era in which they square off against a former Pac-12 team, the UCLA Bruins.
General Information:
Teams: Arizona (4-4) and UCLA (8-1)
Tip time: 1 p.m. MST (3 p.m. EST)
Watch: ESPN2
Listen: Wildcats Radio 1290 AM
Latest on UCLA basketball:
UCLA has been on a roll so far this season, they are currently on a 7-game winning streak coming off of a massive ranked win. UCLA is coming off a victory against then No. 12 Oregon, in a close 73-71 outing. The Bruins’ only loss of the season came against the New Mexico Lobos, in a decent upset 72-64. Their biggest win of the season came against Arizona’s last opponent in Southern Utah, a massive 88-43 win.
The three key players for the Bruins are Tyler Bilodeau, Kobe Johnson, and Sebastian Mack.
Bilodeau, the junior transfer from Oregon State, has been the core of the Bruins offense and defense. Bilodeau leads the team in both points per game and rebounds per game, with 13.3 and 5.9 respectively.
Kobe Johnson, the senior USC transfer, has also been crucial for the Bruins in more of the facilitation of the team. Johnson is currently leading the team in both assists per game and steals per game with 3.2 and 2.1 respectively. The final crucial player doesn’t find himself within the starting lineup but has been crucial for the Bruins with rotation.
Sebastian Mack is a bench player for the Bruins who currently is third on the team in points per game with 10.6. Mack has had six double-digit games coming off the bench, the highlight comes with a 21-point game against Idaho State. The Bruins have been exceedingly effective with transfer portal talent and homegrown players.Â
Can UCLA continue their dominant hot streak well into the season, and prove their place in the Big Ten?
Latest on Arizona basketball:
It would certainly be an understatement to say that Arizona has been struggling to open their season, this is the first time in the Tommy Lloyd era that the Wildcats have been unranked and experienced back-to-back losses. Arizona is looking to capture a statement victory to bring them out of this devastating slump.
Despite the blowout during Arizona’s last game against Southern Utah, there were still some critical takeaways that can point toward future success. The biggest was in their three-point shooting, Arizona attempted a season-low 16 three-pointers and made six of them. Caleb Love is the star for Arizona, but he has constantly found himself in shooting slumps throughout the season. Against Southern Utah, Love went 3-12 from the field.
Love found his consistency seen in his performance against Davidson, however, he is most efficient in his mid-range shooting. His teammates, Jaden Bradley and Anthony Dell’Orso, have been more consistent behind the arc. Arizona continues to rely too much on the three overall and rather needs to focus on their consistency within the arc.
Can Arizona capture a defining win against a ranked opponent, as well as fixing their offensive struggles?
Arizona vs UCLA prediction: Wildcats win 72-69
Arizona captures a season-changing win against No. 24 ranked UCLA. This win can certainly give the team the extra push as the season drags on.