Home Sweet Home – Stanford Vs UCLA Preview And Game Information
It is Home Sweet home for the Bruins as they return to Pauley Pavilion after being away from nearly three weeks. UCLA had a treacherous road trip that involved a five-game losing streak and already being down 0-2 in conference. Can the comforting combines of the Bruin’s home arena turn things around or are the Bruins destined for a sixth straight loss?
UCLA Bruins
Records:
Stanford Cardinal (10-3, 2-0)
UCLA Bruins (8-7, 0-2)
Tip-Off: 6:00 p.m. PT
Location: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
Tickets: UCLABruins.com
TV: ESPN
Radio: KLAC AM 570 (Los Angeles)
On-line: TuneIn
Betting Line: EVEN, O/U: 133.5
Projected Starting Line-ups:
Stanford – Anthony Brown, Chasson Randle, Rosco Allen, Stefan Nastic, Reid Travis
UCLA – Bryce Alford, Norman Powell, Isaac Hamilton, Kevon Looney, Tony Parker
Preview: UCLA has not exactly put together an up-tempo team that cannot complete with the best in the country and it looks like the same might be true about conference play. UCLA, for whatever reason, has had horrible shooting to start games which leads to a very slow starts, all the while their opponents are taking advantage of that and the Bruins lack of defense. That will lose you more games than win them, as we have seen.
January 4, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Chasson Randle (5) shoots the basketball during the first half against the Washington Huskies at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal defeated the Huskies 68-60 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
It does not get any easier when they meet Stanford tonight. The Cardinal are a solid team this year and are looking to big things this season. In their only losses, #4 Duke beat them by 11 whilst the BYU game was decided by 2 points. On the up side, Stanford already has two quality wins against ranked opponents as they beat both Texas and Washington.
UCLA has no quality wins this year. Not even close.
That is why this will be a tough match-up for the Bruins. Whilst the Cardinal have proven themselves, UCLA still has a lot to prove and it will not be easy against this team.
Their leading scorer Chasson Randle is third in conference with 18.8 ppg. Stefan Nastic and Anthony Brown are helping that effort as each have just over 14 points a game.
But do not forget that Stanford is a multifaceted team. Nastic, Brown and Reid Travis are all pulling down more than six rebounds a game. Though UCLA may be the second best rebounding team in the Pac-12, they are dead last in rebounds allowed. That will really be tested against Stanford.
If some how UCLA can pull together as a team and get back some of the confidence they had at the beginning of the year, than maybe they can make this a game. If UCLA tries to do the same old predictable offense, than Stanford will brutalize them, as so many teams have this season.
Prediction: Stanford 68 – UCLA 61