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UCLA Basketball: Bruins Slip Two Spots in the AP Poll

By Mike Regalado

Dec 30, 2016; Corvallis, OR, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford reacts to a play against the Oregon State Beavers in the first half at Gill Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Scobel Wiggins-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2016; Corvallis, OR, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford reacts to a play against the Oregon State Beavers in the first half at Gill Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Scobel Wiggins-USA TODAY Sports /
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After splitting their first road trip of the Pac-12 portion of their schedule, the UCLA Basketball team only fell two spots in this week’s AP Poll.

It was bound to happen after a loss to Oregon. The UCLA Basketball team fell in the AP Top 25 Poll, but only two spots as they are now ranked #4 in the country.

The Bruins opened up conference play last week with a back-and-forth battle in Eugene. UCLA was seconds away from a victory in Matthew Knight Arena, a tough place to get a win for any team, but Oregon got the win on a last second 3-point shot by Dillon Brooks to seal the 89-87 win.

UCLA followed that up with a win at Oregon State, through they struggled mightily to start. The Bruins allowed the Beavers to dictate the tempo for a good portion of the game before freshmen Lonzo Ball and TJ Leaf opened up the scoring late in the contest and finished with a 76-63 win.

The Bruins are now 14-1, 1-1 on the season as they head home to face the Bay Area teams. Cal comes to Pauley Pavilion on Thursday, while Stanford graces UCLA with their presence on Sunday afternoon.

Despite the close loss, the Bruins are still recognized as one of the top teams in the nation and should continue to hold that position for the duration of conference season.

Next: A Loss Is What the Bruins Needed

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The Top 5 are as follows: #1 Villanova, #2 Baylor, #3 Kansas, #4 UCLA and #5 Gonzaga. The Pac-12 teams in the Top 25 are as follows: #4 UCLA, #15 Oregon, #17 Arizona and #25 USC.