A matchup with No. 7 Arizona might not have come at a better time for an unranked UCLA team that dropped two straight games to begin Pac-12 conference play.
Thursday night’s conference home-opener serves as a litmus test to discover if the Bruins (9-6, 0-2 Pac-12) are a team college basketball needs to keep an eye on this season.
An embarrassing loss to the Wildcats (13-1, 1-0) will have the Bruins wondering if they still are the team that pulled off a pair of major upsets in December’s nonconference play.
A letdown in UCLA’s conference opening weekend in Washington led many to question the team’s ability to bring energy and passion in a game played in front of a near-empty stadium.
“That (energy) really dropped at Washington State, for whatever reason,”said coach Steve Alford. “And that one is a hard one for us to figure out as coaches.”
However, a win – or at least a competitive game – means that the upsets over then-No.1 Kentucky and then-No. 20 Gonzaga weren’t flukes, but true showings of UCLA’s potential on the big stage.
Getting hyped up shouldn’t be an issue Thursday night in front of what should be an almost-filled Pauley Pavilion. While USC is the crosstown rival, the Wildcats have been the Pac-12 rivals on the court in recent years.
The Bruins might be facing their first must-win game of the season if they want to right the ship quick to compete in their goal of winning the Pac-12.
“If you can win a game like this early in the season, it has a lot of impact on the rest of the year,” said junior guard Bryce Alford. “Just going into it we’ve got to be really ready to play from the get-go and I think we know that.”
Junior guard Isaac Hamilton, who scored 27 points against Washington State, was the only Bruin to shoot better than 50 percent from the field.
Alford will have to bust out of a recent slump for UCLA to have a realistic shot at the upset. He shot 23.8 percent and then 20 percent from the field in the two losses last road trip. Senior forward/center Tony Parker has also struggled lately, averaging just nine points and 7.5 rebounds on 28.6 percent shooting the past two games.
The Bruins allowed 55.4 percent from the floor and 45 percent 3-point shooting to a far-less dangerous Washington State team. Heading into the matchup with Arizona, Hamilton identified two keys to stopping the Wildcats: limiting transition baskets and second chance opportunities.
Most importantly, Steve Alford just wants to see his team compete and play free. If the Bruins need any more inspiration, they can look to the sideline, as UCLA will be honoring ex-Bruin and current NBA star Russell Westbrook, known for his intense style on the court.
“Last summer, he came in and played pickup,” Hamilton said. “The energy he brought, that’s the energy we need to bring towards Thursday and all other games.”