Go Joe Bruin
Fansided

NCAA Tournament: UCLA Basketball vs. Kentucky – Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Stats, Odds and More

By Mike Regalado

Dec 3, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford talks with his players during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford talks with his players during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 2
Next
Dec 3, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Isaac Hamilton (10) dribbles the ball against Kentucky Wildcats guard Isaiah Briscoe (13) at Rupp Arena. UCLA defeated Kentucky 97-92. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Isaac Hamilton (10) dribbles the ball against Kentucky Wildcats guard Isaiah Briscoe (13) at Rupp Arena. UCLA defeated Kentucky 97-92. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /

UCLA Basketball vs. Kentucky Preview

The UCLA Basketball team is having one of their best seasons in years. The Bruins have a chance to do something extraordinary, but huge road blocks stand in their way in this NCAA Tournament.

More from Go Joe Bruin

Tonight, the Bruins take on Kentucky, a team they have beaten twice in the last two seasons, both at home in Pauley Pavilion and away at Rupp Arena.

This time the two teams will face each other on a grander scale as both will take part in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. But whoever wins this, still has to go through #1 North Carolina or #4 Butler just to get to the Final Four.

Kentucky was not the team many hoped they would be. They lost, in embarrassing fashion, to UCLA back in December. Since then, they have also lost Louisville, Kansas, Florida and even at unranked Tennessee.

Since their final loss to Florida on February 4, the Wildcats have rattled off 13 straight wins, which included capturing the SEC Tournament Championship. Kentucky has now turned into the team everyone expected them to be.

The Bruins are in a similar situation. After their back-to-back losses to Arizona and USC, they changed things up and went on a 10-game winning streak. Unfortunately they were stopped by Arizona in the Pac-12 Tournament. But, the Bruins turned on the heat in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament by waxing Kent State and dismantling Cincinnati in the second half.

So now the two blue bloods go at each other in this huge event. The teams match up similarly as they both have at least four scorers putting up double-digit numbers.

Though everyone should get involved, the result of this game will come down to how Lonzo Ball and Malik Monk lead their team. This is not going to be just another basketball game, this is going to be all out war.

Next: The Bruin Road Warriors Head to Memphis

Prediction: UCLA 82 – UK 78