Ryan Smith
Sports editor
Prediction: UCLA 82, USC 70
I have been predicting UCLA will win in big games all year – regardless of the sport.
And despite the Bruins losing in each and every one of those games, I will continue to do the same.
UCLA needs to win for not only the sake of the rivalry and protecting home court, but also to keep its season alive. If the Bruins do not take care of business Thursday night, they won’t be getting a bye in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament.
Without a bye, UCLA would need four wins in four days at the conference tournament to get into the NCAA tournament. And if we’re being honest with ourselves, that probably isn’t going to happen – actually, we know that isn’t happening.
The Bruins need sophomore guard Jaylen Hands to stay hot after his 27-point second half outburst against Oregon on Saturday. He is undoubtedly the engine that makes UCLA go.
Freshman center Moses Brown will also have to show up after being invisible in the Bruins’ last meeting with the Trojans. The 7-footer only scored two points in that game while his matchup – Nick Rakocevic – scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
If those two can get going for UCLA, I have no doubt they’ll be taking home a much needed victory with just a handful of games left to be played. Not to mention the crowd is going to be buzzing.
I can’t wait.
Sam Connon
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: UCLA 88, USC 84
This season has been messy.
UCLA will go on a winning streak, then a losing streak – neither extending longer than three games. The highs this season have been insanely high and the lows have been embarrassingly low.
The first game against USC was probably the lowest of those lows.
As a result, I’m predicting a win for the Bruins. A fun, entertaining, high-scoring win.
The Trojans are more experienced, and that was definitely one of the deciding factors in the first matchup. But now, interim coach Murry Bartow has a better grip on lineups and substitution patterns, no longer feeling obligated to play Brown in crunch time or freshman guards Jules Bernard and David Singleton with the reserves.
With a more shooting-oriented lineup, UCLA will be able to overcome USC’s size and experience advantage down low. If they play like they did against Oregon and Oregon State – which is probably a stretch – the Bruins should be able to avoid getting swept by their crosstown rival.
Angie Forburger
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: USC 78, UCLA 74
This season was over in December.
Despite Bartow leading the Bruins to three straight wins to start January, UCLA has lacked consistency since.
UCLA is coming off back-to-back wins over Oregon State and Oregon – including a game-high 27-point performance from Hands.
But UCLA’s last outing against USC showed that a high-scoring offense won’t be enough.
Hands, redshirt junior guard Prince Ali and sophomore guard Kris Wilkes each dropped 13 points or more for the Bruins at the Galen Center in January – but Rakocevic and forward Bennie Boatwright of the Trojans both notched 21 of their own.
UCLA and USC are tied for fifth in the conference standings, both fighting for a first-round bye in the conference tournament.
While that mindset may be enough to push the Bruins to one last win at Pauley Pavilion this season, they have already shown that we can’t rely on them to perform.
It’ll be the Trojans to lose.
Jack Perez
Sports staff writer
Prediction: USC 77, UCLA 72
The Bruins will keep the score respectable, but they are outmatched.
The Trojans have the edge in experience, and they have shown they can beat the Bruins this season. USC will be looking for redemption after last week’s loss to Oregon State and still has the chance to clinch a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament.
UCLA is coming off two big wins over the Oregon teams, and it is also on the outside looking in for a first-round bye. But the Bruins are a team in transition under Bartow.
Will we see the UCLA offense that put up 90 points on Oregon and Arizona in their wins? Or the one that scored 55 and 58 points against Washington and Liberty, respectively?
I think we’ll see a mix of the two. Brown will again be shut down by Rakocevic and Boatwright, and the Bruins will end their home schedule with a disappointing loss.
Will Bleveans
Opinion columnist
Prediction: USC 85, UCLA 80
Zion Williamson’s individual heroics notwithstanding, college basketball is a team sport.
Without rock-solid leadership and team cohesion, even the most talented teams will falter. To this point, UCLA’s season has proven this insight to be true, and – barring a miracle – that will not change by Thursday night’s game against USC.
With all due respect to Bartow, the Bruins need someone to right the ship and change the culture. Assuming that athletic director Dan Guerrero is unable to sign Larry Brown or John Wooden’s ghost by tipoff, expect UCLA to play sloppily and lose by a narrow margin yet again.