College Basketball Game of the Week: No. 11 Arizona vs. No. 5 UCLA
One of the biggest games in the Pac-12 takes place Saturday afternoon in Tucson when No. 11 Arizona hosts No. 5 UCLA. Both teams are looking to obtain a major victory as they build their resumes ahead of March Madness. Here’s a look at the two teams:
No. 5 UCLA Bruins (16-2, 7-0 in conference)
The Bruins enter this game as the top team in the Pac-12, one game ahead of Arizona State. Coach Mick Cronin’s team has won its last 13 games, dating back to a November loss against Baylor. With wins over Kentucky, Maryland and USC and no bad losses, UCLA sits as a projected No. 2 seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is the go-to guy for UCLA, averaging 16.7 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. The senior guard has scored 10 or more points in all but one game this season and has scored over a thousand points in his Bruins career. He is coming off a 23-point outing against Colorado and made the Midseason Wooden Award Watch List.
UCLA’s other players to watch junior Jaylen Clark and senior Tyger Campbell. Clark has been a breakout player this season, doubling his points per game average, going from 6.7 to 14.2.
Campbell is more of a distributor, leading his team in assists. He also averages over 13 points per game and is an 82 percent free throw shooter.
The experienced Bruins’ backcourt will need to be on full display against Arizona.
No. 11 Arizona Wildcats (15-3, 4-3 conference)
As for Arizona, its mixed results in conference play are why it is sixth in the conference standings. Despite losses to Utah, Washington State and Oregon, the Wildcats’ tournament resume has quality wins over Indiana and San Diego State Tennessee. Coach Tommy Lloyd’s team is a projected No. 3 seed, according to Lunardi.
Forward Azuolas Tubelis leads the Wildcats with 20.4 points per game and makes 47.4 percent of his three-pointers. The Lithuanian-born junior was named to the preseason Karl Malone Award Watch List, given to the country’s top power forward. He will look to rebound against the Bruins after being limited to 14 points against Oregon.
Other key contributors for Arizona include guards Kerr Kriisa and Courtney Ramey, who both average double figures, and center Oscar Ballo, a 7-footer who leads his team in rebounds.
The versatile Wildcats roster will look to get a major conference win come Saturday.
Prediction: Arizona 78, UCLA 72
Will Duerksen is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email wdd5066@psu.edu.
