The UCLA Basketball team rose back into the top 10 of the AP Poll after their Washington sweep.
UCLA Basketball has clawed back into the top 10 of the AP poll after back-to-back wins on the road against Washington State and Washington. This was only the Bruins’ second road sweep in Coach Steve Alford’s entire tenure in Westwood.
The Bruins were dominant in the Northwest. UCLA Basketball defeated Washington State 95-79 and Washington 107-66. The Bruins dropped over a hundred points before a sold out crowd in Alaska Airlines Arena against likely first-round-pick Markelle Fultz and the Huskies.
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This win and the boost in the rankings give UCLA another chance to prove they are worthy of National Championship buzz. Ironically, as things stand, UCLA Basketball has a slim chance at the Pac-12 Championship unless it can beat the elites. UCLA is currently third in the conference with an 8-3 record, sitting behind Oregon and Arizona, which sit on top of the Pac with duplicate 10-1 records.
Despite the continued buzz the Bruins might get, UCLA still needs to beat the right teams. This Thursday, the Bruins will get another chance at Oregon at home. In their last encounter, UCLA lost to the Ducks in the final second of the game, when Dillon Brooks hit a 3-pointer to give Oregon the win.
Next: UCLA is Rolling Again, Still Needs to Beat Pac-12 Elite
Only 7 games remain in the regular season for the Bruins, and the schedule does not get any easier. After Oregon, UCLA will face Oregon State (2/12) and USC (2/18), before going on a road trip to Arizona to face the Sun Devils and the Wildcats. UCLA Basketball will close its regular schedule against Washington (3/1) and Washington State (3/4) at home.