Hope is fading rapidly for UCLA basketball this season as they are 6-10 overall and 1-4 in Pac-12 play. However, for those fans who still believe that they can at minimum make this a .500 season, a win at home against Washington is a start in the right direction.
UCLA Bruins: Men's Basketball
Net (NCAA) Ranking: 203
Pomeroy College Basketball (Ken Pom) Ranking: 118
Rating Percentage Index (RPI) Ranking: 245
College Basketball Power Index (BPI) Rankings: 143
NCAA Tournament Probability: 0.2%
Washington Huskies: Men's Basketball
Net (NCAA) Ranking: 61
Pomeroy College Basketball (KenPom) Ranking: 54
Rating Percentage Index (RPI) Ranking: 52
College Basketball Power Index (BPI) Ranking: 54
NCAA Tournament Probability: 32.8%
Let's analyze and explore the basketball history between UCLA and Washington and look at the game prediction.
The present winning streak between the UCLA and the Washington: UCLA has been victorious the last eights games against Washington in this conference rivalry.
The previous game between the Huskies and the Bruins: The Bruins defeated the Huskies at home on February 2nd of last season by a final score of 70-63.
The most impressive win for the UCLA and Washington this season according to their opponent's current NET Ranking: For the Huskies, it was a win against Xavier and for the Bruins it was a road victory against Oregon State.
The record for the Bruins against the Huskies for the last ten meetings they faced off against one another: UCLA have won nine of the last ten games against Washington.
Leading scorers for both teams: UCLA's leading scorer is Sebastian Mack who is averaging 13.9 points per game. Washington's leading scorer is former Kentucky Wildcat Keion Brooks Jr. who is averaging 20.6 points per game for the Huskies.
Pac-12 games for Washington: @ Colorado
, lost 73-69;
@ Utah
, lost 95-90
; Oregon
, lost 76-74;
Oregon State
, won 79-72
; Arizona State, won
82-67.
Pac-12 games for UCLA: @ Oregon State
, won 69-62;
@ Oregon
, lost 64-59
; Stanford
, lost 59-53;
Cal
, lost 66-57; @ Utah, lost
90-44.
Which team is predicted to win the game according to ESPN Analytics?: They have Washington as having a 62.9% chance of winning this game against UCLA .
Game Prediction: As Cameron said in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day off, "I am not going to sit on my (blank) as the events that affect me unfold to determine the course of my life. I'm going to take a stand. I'm going to defend it." UCLA has to have the mind set of the movie character Cameron and not let the past affect your actions moving forward. In other words, they can't fear losing and hope to win, they need to be confident and expect to defeat Washington on their home court. They need to win on their home court and as the old saying goes, "defend your home court" and get a much needed victory.
Therefore, with head coach Mick Cronin's track record and not believing that UCLA loses their fifth straight game and fall to 6-11, the prediction for this game is a Bruin win only because recent UCLA basketball history suggest that UCLA finds a way to a minimum salvage their season and win a much-needed game at Pauley Pavilion with the final score UCLA 68 Washington 67.