One way or another, UCLA’s road struggles will end Saturday.
The Bruins just hope their tournament bubble doesn’t burst right along with it.
UCLA heads to Tucson, Ariz., Saturday for its final – and arguably most critical – true road game of the year, where No. 7 Arizona awaits them.
The Bruins enter the pivotal contest on the heels of a major letdown Wednesday in Tempe, Ariz., where Arizona State pulverized UCLA inside.
“We’ll see how we bounce back,” said coach Steve Alford. “We have to be tough-minded, we have to bounce back and we’re obviously playing an outstanding team in Tucson on Saturday.”
The defeat at Arizona State hurts all the more because UCLA (16-11, 8-6 Pac-12) knew this was coming – a game, that on paper, even the most optimistic of Bruins fans probably chalked up as a loss prior to the start of the season.
On paper, UCLA’s chances are slim. The Wildcats (23-3,11-2) are undefeated at home this season and shadow the Bruins in nearly every major statistical category. UCLA meanwhile has just two road wins all year and has yet to win a weekend conference game away from Pauley Pavilion under Alford.
While a team’s actual games aren’t decided on paper, its tournament fates more or less are. And UCLA’s resume took a big hit after it fell to a team which isn’t even at .500 in conference play.
To their credit though, the Bruins – at least publicly – aren’t overly concerned about what is – or isn’t – on paper.
“(We have to) just go back, watch some film and get ready for (Arizona), prepare mentally and get ready,” said freshman forward Kevon Looney. “It’s a big game, it should be easy to get ready for.”
Taking down the current conference leaders and a possible No. 1 seed in the tournament is, or course, easier said than done.
The Wildcats boast a deep and talented roster – led by senior guard T.J. McConnell and standout freshman forward Stanley Johnson. With three victories over top-25 teams, Arizona is capable of competing with any team in the country.
Arizona coach Sean Miller’s club enters as one of the best shooting teams in the nation while six players average more than eight points per game. The Wildcats are just as good – if not better – on the other end of the floor, where they yield a paltry 59.2 points per game to opposing teams.
More daunting still is the fact that 18 of the Wildcats’ 23 wins – and all but one of its conference victories – have come by double-digits. What makes matters even more difficult is that a win Saturday would make UCLA the first team in more than two years to defeat Arizona on its home floor. The Wildcats have won 35 straight in the McKale Memorial Center since falling to Cal in February of 2013.
But for the optimists – and perhaps UCLA includes itself among them entering Saturday night’s contest – Arizona has dropped each of its last three games that were decided by single-digits.
So if – and it’s a big if – the Bruins can keep it close against the Wildcats a monumental upset – and a monumental boost for UCLA’s postseason aspirations – isn’t out of the question.
“We have to go into Tucson and try and steal one,” said senior guard Norman Powell. “This is a really big game for us so it shouldn’t be hard to get the team motivated. It’s just looking past what happened (against ASU) and see what we can improve on. It’s not the first time we’ve faced adversity.”
It is the last time the Bruins will play a true road game this year but more than that, it is might just be their last best chance at bolstering their tournament hopes.
The Zoo has been waiting for this game for two years.