The UCLA Basketball team takes on the #9 Oregon Ducks in a game that hopes to garner some momentum for the Bruins heading into the Pac-12 Tournament.
If UCLA Basketball plays a game in front of an empty Pauley Pavilion, does that mean it happened? Unfortunately, yes.
Though things do not look promising for the Bruins heading into the post-season, they have a chance to play spoiler (though they need a little help from USC).
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If Oregon wins either of their final two games of the regular season, they clinch the #1 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament, so it is indeed something to shoot for (oh how the mighty have fallen).
As for UCLA, they seem to have secured the #10 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament which means they would need four straight wins to claim the championship and get that automatic bid to the NCAAs (which is the only way they get in at this point).
Still, that is looking ahead, right now the Bruins have to focus on Oregon and salvage any respectability to this season.
Records:Â #9 Oregon Ducks (23-6, 12-4), UCLA Bruins (15-14, 6-10)
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Tipoff:Â 6:00 p.m. PT
Location:Â Pauley Pavilion (12,829)
Tickets:Â uclabruins.com
TV:Â ESPN2
Online: Watch ESPN
Radio: AM 570 Los Angeles
On-line Radio:Â Tune-In
Betting Line: Oregon -2.0
Oregon is a very good team that can score in a variety of ways. Though they have several players that can get the ball in the net, the Bruins have to limit the touches of Dillon Brooks who is scoring 17.2 ppg.
The only problem with that is the Bruins are so inconsistent on defense and do not have a single lock-down defender that keeping Brooks (and his teammates) away from the rim will be a herculean task.
Because of that, it seems the Bruins will have to out score the Ducks if defense falls through the cracks. Now that is possible, especially if the Bruins get hot, but do not expect it to happen all game long, especially with Oregon playing for the #1 spot in the Pac-12 Tournament.
Overall, this game could be a wake up call for UCLA if they choose to play with some effort, but as we have seen too many times before, inconsistency haunts the Bruins.
Prediction: Oregon 78 – UCLA 68