UCLA Basketball Vs. USC: TV Schedule, Odds and Bruin Day Preview
Dec 28, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the Pauley Pavilion during the NCAA basketball game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and UCLA Bruins. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The UCLA Bruins (11-2) face their crosstown rivals, the USC Trojans (9-4) in their conference opener at Pauley Pavilion. Not only is this going to be a heated game, due to the fact that it is a rivalry, but the Bruins have a lot to prove to the Trojans and their new head coach Andy Enfield after he made less than flattering comments about the Bruin’s tempo. This was even before the season started.
TV: Fox Sports 1
Location: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
Tip-Off: 12:00 p.m. PT/3:00 p.m. ET
Odds: UCLA -12.5
Ticket Information: uclabruins.com/tickets
Preview: So when was the last time UCLA and USC kicked off their conference seasons by battling each other? This is the one conference game the Bruins have been waiting for, not just because it is USC, but because of the ruckus USC’s coach has been making with his comments about UCLA before the season started.
In a summarized version of what I had previously wrote in, So You Want To Play Slow Basketball? Do Not Go To UCLA, Enfield has made outlandish comments about the Bruins that are turning out to be the opposite of what he claims. All this without seeing the new product first-year head coach Steve Alford had to offer.
Still, this would have been a battle the Bruins would have been ready for, now there is some extra fuel to the fire.
So who are these Trojans? Enfield is trying to bring to South Central the type of basketball that he mastered at Florida Gulf Coast University last year. His high flying offense was the darling of the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately this year, he does not have the type of guys that he needs for a clone “Dunk City”.
The Trojans are scoring 75.0 points a game (130th in the nation) off of a .460 shooting percentage (108th in the nation). Despite their lack of offense, they are able to get above the rim and grab some rebounds as they are 24th in the nation with 40.8 per game. This is the one part of this game the Trojans will have a clear advantage of.
USC is lead by Byron Wesley who is getting crazy with offense for the Trojans and is the most efficient player on Enfield’s roster. Wesley is getting 17.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, in short he is an athletic freak. After that though, there are some guys that contribute, but are not overly talented. Good roles players, but no one that could really take charge if Wesley went down.
As for the game itself, the Bruins and Trojans will be neck and neck for much of the contest, but UCLA has too much talent and should out score USC, because really, this is not going to be a defensive battle.
Prediction: USC 64 – UCLA 79
Mike W.R.
Twitter: @TheBigDisco