UCLA
vs.
Arizona
College Basketball
Pick with Analysis
2/21/15
The Conference season hasn’t gone as hoped for Arizona this year, but one thing the Wildcats do well is win at home. They host a UCLA team looking for a big win that would get them a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The Bruins looked all but done for at the beginning of January when they lost five straight Games and were just 8-7 overall. After beating Utah, things have changed and they are slowly becoming a bubble team. Unfortunately, they don’t get to host Arizona this year, which makes this Game all that more important, especially after losing at Arizona State on Wednesday. The good thing is that UCLA will be at home for its final three Games of the season after this one.
Arizona has dismantled all of its Pac-12 opponents at home this season. The closest any Conference opponent has come to the Wildcats in Tucson was Colorado in a 68-54 loss. They have been close to unstoppable this season at home, dominating on both ends of the floor. All three of their questionable losses (UNLV, Oregon State, Arizona State) have been on the road by a combined nine points. After this one, they get to travel to Colorado and Utah, two tough spots to play.
It’s going to take UCLA’s best Game of the season to walk out with a win from this Game. Their offense isn’t super efficient and that will probably hurt them against the clamp-down defense of the Wildcats. They don’t shoot it at a great rate, and it’ll take someone like Bryce Alford or Isaac Hamilton to catch fire from deep. Norman Powell will do his usual thing (16 ppg), but it’s going to fall on the other guys to keep close. Freshman Kevon Looney has improved steadily through the season, and will likely draw the matchup of Brandon Ashley. Looney plays a little bit bigger than Ashley, but Ashley stretches the floor better so it’ll be interesting how that works out.
However, Arizona has a noticeable size advantage at the 2 and 3 spots with the 6’7″ Stanley Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson matching up with the 6’4″ Norman Powell and Isaac Hamilton of UCLA. That could easily come into play as the athletic Johnson and Hollis-Jefferson are Arizona’s top two rebounders. Point guards Bryce Alford and T.J. McConnell match up nicely with Alford probably being a little more important to his team because the Bruins will need him to hit his shots.
The Wildcats have been on fire lately, especially at home, but if the Bruins can continue their strong play this one could turn out to be closer than expected. Then again, if Arizona’s defense is too much for UCLA and if Alford or Hamilton aren’t hitting their shots, this Game could get out of hand. The last time these teams played was when UCLA upset Arizona in the Pac-12 championship Game a year ago. The Wildcats could be looking for some revenge here.
Our Prediction – Arizona by 14