Will UCLA play energized basketball out of the break?

UCLA has been able to enjoy a nine day break so far since their last game which was a 97-65 win over UC Riverside. They will have a total of 11 days off by the time they play their next game on Saturday on the road against No. 25 Iowa. It will be a good test to see where the Bruins are and see if they can creep back into the top 25 with a in. A long rest can either really help a team or hurt them. It is expected that although UCLA will be fresh, they may start the game slow due to no game action.

UCLA has had their issues this year and they have worked on some and then regressed on others. They will need to play complete basketball to compete in a crowded Big Ten and then into the March tournament. They have cleaned up some areas such as free throw shooting and getting some production from their bench. Not needing to rely heavily on starters and not leaving points out on the floor that could cost them games.

UC Riverside isn't a big Division I opponent, and neither is Cal Poly. The Bruins were expected to win both of those games by a wide margin. Their last big opponent was Arizona State, a game in which they won 90-77. While holding Maurice Odum in check for the night as he only scored 10 points. That is tremendous considering some of the games he has had this season and how quickly he can score the basketball.

Iowa is a good team that can defend and score the basketball. It will be key for UCLA to shake off any cobwebs they may have after being off so long. Use the refreshed legs and come out with a big win. They will need to control the paint and win the rebound batle. They have the offense that can score with the best of them. But it will be the intangibles that will make or break grind it out games. The Big Ten is going to be a fight to the finish and Iowa knows how to win tough games.