UCLA Basketball: Pac-12 Tournament Schedule and Preview
![Feb 25, 2017; Tucson, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins center Thomas Welsh (40) celebrates after scoring agains the Arizona Wildcats during the second half at McKale Center. UCLA won 77-72. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports Feb 25, 2017; Tucson, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins center Thomas Welsh (40) celebrates after scoring agains the Arizona Wildcats during the second half at McKale Center. UCLA won 77-72. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/bb775dea1b3fcfdddd72a4835441740899c0d3eaa3ece016163466b3b5354562.jpg)
UCLA Basketball Pac-12 Tournament Preview
ICYMI: The #Pac12Hoops Tournament bracket has been released! ⬇️
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) March 5, 2017
Read: https://t.co/amH0IWQhO1 pic.twitter.com/B14akdV9KW
The UCLA Basketball team is in an interesting situation. They are on a 9-game win streak and probably one of the toughest teams to beat right now, just ask Oregon and Arizona.
The Bruins are entering this year’s tournament, which is once again being held in Las Vegas, with a first-round bye. That is in stark contrast to last season when they were ousted in the first round by USC. It was the Trojan’s third-straight win over the Bruins that season as they demolished UCLA, 95-71.
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Well it looks like the Bruins might be able to get a little payback, again. The last time UCLA lost this season was against USC at the Galen Center. After that is when things changed and the Bruins started their winning streak, which included a 32-point beat down at Pauley Pavilion where the Bruins destroyed Troy.
Now if USC beats UW, UCLA will have a chance to avenge their early tourney loss from last year. Prediction: it will happen, but it will be tough. With the Trojans as a bubble team, they need a strong showing in the Pac-12 Tournament to prove they belong in the Big Dance, but it will not happen against the Bruins.
UCLA will then, most likely, face Arizona. though the Bruins recently silenced the Wildcats in their own home a few weeks ago, don’t expect Arizona to be timid in this game. They are also looking to get a top seeding in the NCAA Tournament, as well as another conference tournament championship. Still, I have UCLA winning this one.
On the other side of the bracket, Oregon should take out the Stanford/ASU winner just before running through Utah, so it seems almost likely that it will be a UCLA-Oregon final.
So who do we have wining the Pac-12 Tournament? UCLA of course!
Next: ESPN's Joe Lunardi Has Facts for UCLA Basketball Fans
For more information on the Pac-12 Tournament, visit Pac-12.com. For tickets, click HERE.