The Bruins have a reason to be smiling after winning the Pac-12 regular season title on Sunday. (Photo Credit: Scott Chandler/uclabruins.com)
Good afternoon to the Pac-12 Champions.
The Bruins are returning to Pauley Pavilion for the final week of the regular season having already wrapped up the conference title race. In many ways these last two games are a victory lap for a team that has played hard and rarely let up, but at the same time UCLA is still in play for a #1 seed in the West (something former coach Ben Howland has apparently stressed to the team throughout the season). Throw in the emotions of an important senior class playing their final games in front of what will be two raucous crowds, and you have the makings of what should be a good week of UCLA basketball.
First up this week is a rematch with the Arizona State Sun Devils. There was a point this season where it looked like UCLA might be able to take this game easy, as their victory over ASU began a streak of four-straight losses that took the Sun Devils from a potential tournament team to outside the bubble. But Arizona State has come on strong of late, and put themselves back in the conversation with a victory over Arizona last Saturday thanks to a midcourt heave from Desmond Cambridge. That victory helped seal the conference for the Bruins, but it also put Arizona State squarely back on the bubble, and they could desperately use a win in this final week of the season to solidify their spot. This is a very desperate team that might be catching the Bruins at the exact right time.
The last time these two teams played, UCLA found itself in a dogfight with Arizona State until they entered Winning Time, turning a five-point halftime deficit into a comfortable 74-62 win. Hilariously enough, that game also featured Desmond Cambridge hitting a buzzer-beater from beyond halfcourt that looks like a complete mirror of the shot that beat Arizona, so I’m sure the Bruins will do a better job of trying to prevent that from happening. A lot of Bruins played poorly in that game, with Jaime Jaquez only putting up nine points on 4-12 shooting, Jalen Clark similarly struggling en route to 10 points on 3-9 shooting, and Adem Bona having issues dealing with the size and length of the Sun Devils. Oh, and Amari Bailey was still out with an injury during this time. That might have been a problem as well.
There’s not much that has changed about this Arizona State squad. They’ll still trot out the Cambridge brothers, Desmond and Devan, to start at the guard spots. Frankie Collins is still the defacto point guard, and DJ Horne takes the final spot in their four-guard lineup. Warren Washington rounds out their starter unit, and the only major bench piece to note is Austin Nunez, though he may be out for this game as he’s dealing with concussion symptoms. This starter unit is good but there is a major drop-off when anyone on the bench has to take the floor - Jamiya Neal and Alonzo Gaffney are the only other bench pieces to average more than 10 minutes a game, and no bench player averages more than four points a game.
Arizona State is a weird team to me because their metrics don’t line up with the eye test, by which I mean by KenPom they’ve got a very good defense (32nd in adjusted defensive efficiency) and a bad offense by Power Six standards (116th in adjusted offensive efficiency). Yet I watch Arizona State play and I’m left feeling that they only win or lose games based on what the offense is able to accomplish because their defense isn’t nearly good enough to keep them in it. Maybe the Arizona State defense looks better by comparison because the Sun Devils are constantly trying to pressure opponents to keep up offensively, but even in their upset win over Arizona where ASU shot 53.7% from the field (including 11-28 from three), Arizona was still able to shoot 50.9% from the field. I think a lot of their defensive metrics are buoyed by a really good two-point defense (5th in the country) and a high block percentage (10th in the country), but still, this isn’t a defense that necessarily has me shaking in my boots.
This game has all the makings of a classic trap game. It’s hard to gauge UCLA’s emotional level following the Rocky Mountain Road Trip and securing the conference regular season crown, especially with this being the final homestand for the seniors. If the Bruins are focused, they should come out of this one with a comfortable win, but Arizona State is a desperate team that is going to play with all the urgency in the world as they try to secure their tournament bid. I think the major key here will be that UCLA still has something to play for, with a #1 seed in the West still tantalizingly within reach and the nation’s longest home winning streak to protect. Even if they don’t come out with perfect focus, this team has shown time and again that they can make the plays that winning teams make down the stretch.
Listen to the Game With TMB
Tonight’s game will be on ESPN with Roxy Bernstein and Corey Williams. If you prefer, you can listen to Josh Lewin and Tracy Murray. Just be sure to right-click on it so that you can open up another tab and have it going while you chat in the comments below. Listen to tonight’s game online.
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So, I’m class of ‘95, and I’d like to think this team resembles that one. A short, senior PG Ty(us/ger), a go to player whose sibling also plays ball for UCLA, a big Centrr from overseas, and the freshman Bailey
Why is the ucla offense so bad these days… it started with that Arizona game. Nobody is making shots consistently. Defense is fine, but you gotta score baskets and ucla just cant
U!!!
Hi Dr. and Gen2! Go Bruins!
Good afternoon Bruins
Game starting ESPNNews
Let's go, Bruins!!
Let's go, Bruins!!
Defense!!
Jaime!!
So, I’m class of ‘95, and I’d like to think this team resembles that one. A short, senior PG Ty(us/ger), a go to player whose sibling also plays ball for UCLA, a big Centrr from overseas, and the freshman Bailey
Turrble decision by Bailey on that pass smdh
Damn Bailey, shake it off! worst start ever for the freshman
How are we shooting like this at home! We have open shots but we can't make them
Well, at least ASU can't stop us; we just can't make a basket to save our lives
Great rebounding efforts. Not so much with the shooting.
why is Nwuba in the game?
These freakin cold starts are so annoying.
Again, we need to focus on our defense to shut down this run; the offense will eventually come...
No video yet, but it looks like a lousy start.
Why is the ucla offense so bad these days… it started with that Arizona game. Nobody is making shots consistently. Defense is fine, but you gotta score baskets and ucla just cant
asu shooting 71%
Singleton!!
Again, wtf is Nwuba doing in the game, and why not Bona??
And a missed free throw
Huge flop
That second was a flop; first contact legit
Send it!!!
Freshman did travel on that bunny-hop
Throw it down, young man!!
SIIICCKKKK!!!!
6 turnovers already. Wake up, boys.
Defense!!
It was 12-2; now it's 12-9
Campbell to Jaquez with the flying jam! Wow!
This motion offense just not working for ASU; we're making them work down to the end of the shot clock
Jaime's shot is just so pretty
You've done a great job with the team, Greg!
That was not a foul on Bona!
FSPTRs. What a load.
Jaime!!!!
13 for Jaquez!
Let's go!!
Come on, Bruins, it can't just be Jaime. LFG!!
It's quite laughable that AZ thinks Tubelis should be POY; can't hold a candle to Jaime!
JJJ - Deja vu!
Jaime is carrying the team on his back right now.
Okay, Nwuba, that was great D!
Team needs glasses. Too many passes off target.
I'm not loving Bailey's game so far tonight
The fact we have 9 turnovers with 6 to go in first half is not good -_-
Mac!!