WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
In this new segment, The Bruin Sports section will predict the outcome of the weekend’s top three UCLA sporting events.
Men’s Basketball: Pac-12 Tournament (UCLA begins Thursday) – The Bruins have yet to prove they can win back-to-back conference games on the road this season, and while the Pac-12 tournament is at a neutral site, the trend won’t stop this week. UCLA will get a win in its first game but won’t get past the semifinals the next day.
Softball: UCLA v. Arizona (Saturday through Monday) – UCLA resumes one of the best rivalries in college softball this weekend when Arizona comes to town for a three-game series starting Saturday. In a battle of top-10 schools, who ultimately prevails in this latest edition will likely come down to who wins the matchup between the Bruins’ powerhouse pitching and the Wildcats’ dynamic offense. We have UCLA’s immovable object taking two out of three this weekend.
Men’s Volleyball: UCLA v. USC (Saturday 8 p.m.) – It’s not even finals week yet, and the UCLA men’s volleyball team is already in near-panic mode. The Bruins have lost four out of their last five games. For a team that won 10 straight games earlier in the year, consider this a critical point in the season – turn it around, or watch its chances at a postseason at-large berth slip away. Expect UCLA, behind a renewed urgency, to sweep USC.
2013-2014 prediction record to date: 1 – 2