NCAAB Game Preview - UCLA at Arizona
Sat Feb 25, 2017 8:15 PM EST

BYU
79
Gonz
71
F
Crei
63
Vill
79
F
Kansas
77
Tex
67
F
UCLA
77
Ariz
72
F
Oreg
75
Stan
73
F
UNC
85
Pitt
67
F
Baylor
69
IaSt
72
F
Duke
50
Mia-FL
55
F
Fla
66
KY
76
F
WVU
61
TCU
60
F
Purd
70
Mich
82
F
SMU
69
UConn
61
F
UVA
70
NCSU
55
F
FSU
76
Clem
74
F
SCla
56
StMar
70
F
Iowa
83
MD
69
F
WichSt
86
MOSt
67
F
Hof
71
JMU
66
F
Amer
64
LoyMD
62
F
NIU
68
E MI
84
F
Navy
60
Buck
82
F
Tul
76
Temp
86
F(2OT)
GTown
80
StJon
86
F
UMBC
90
UNH
94
F(2OT)
IndSt
63
Evans
65
F
CenCT
77
Bry
91
F
FaDi
64
StFPA
70
F
Tenn
55
SouthCar
82
F
Tows
79
W&M
83
F
Stony
51
Vermt
66
F
NE
65
UNCW
74
F
Maine
72
Bingha
71
F
Woff
69
Furm
78
F
TNTec
71
E KY
75
F
IlSt
63
NrthIA
42
F
Brad
82
Drake
74
F
ChaSo
86
Longw
78
F
Ball
55
W MI
80
F
Lib
45
UNCA
63
F
Lafy
73
Colg
69
F
VCU
59
URI
69
F
TxTch
63
OkSt
80
F
Seton
82
DeP
79
F
Boston
71
HolyC
68
F(OT)
Rich
70
Ford
48
F
McNee
70
TXAMC
81
F
SacHr
72
RobM
79
F
USM
76
N TX
53
F
PSU
71
Minn
81
F
ULM
75
App
64
F
YSU
55
Clev
69
F
BGSU
70
Mia-O
54
F
Mizzu
77
Miss
80
F
LIU
88
Merrim
84
F(OT)
StFNY
62
MtStM
77
F
SJSU
78
Bois
85
F
USF
76
Pepp
65
F
GWebb
88
HiPt
86
F(OT)
Duques
77
StBon
80
F
MissSt
48
Vand
77
F
Marq
69
Prov
73
F
VaTec
91
BC
75
F
IdaSt
77
E WA
89
F
MD-ES
65
DelSt
64
F
BethC
63
NCC
78
F
FlaAM
64
SCSt
75
F
Savan
110
NCAT
91
F
UL
79
CoCar
77
F
NOrl
82
NWSt
83
F
SeLA
71
Nich
77
F
Winth
93
Presb
56
F
Radf
58
Campbl
61
F
StJos
60
StLou
61
F
JSU
70
MorSt
61
F
Drex
67
Charl
80
F
Mercer
64
Chat
54
F
Denv
64
SDSt
88
F
Hamp
70
Morg
77
F
APSU
88
SEMO
79
F
JackSt
67
MsVl
70
F(OT)
USA
75
TexAr
86
F
Troy
59
TxSt
63
F
HCU
75
Lamar
68
F
TXSo
86
ASU
73
F
Princ
75
Corn
60
F
NM
71
Wyo
82
F
Nev
94
UNLV
58
F
Web
78
Ida
83
F(OT)
Marsh
93
UNCC
89
F
LSU
80
UGA
82
F
KSU
51
Okla
81
F
Alc
68
South
67
F
How
65
Norf
73
F
TNSt
63
Belm
68
F
PVAM
74
AlaAM
87
F
GASt
71
ArkLR
54
F
Hartfo
62
Albany
80
F
Del
59
Elon
81
F
Citad
102
Samf
96
F
ETSU
68
WCU
52
F
Murr
76
TN-M
83
F
Yale
99
Dart
86
F
SDak
92
IUPUI
85
F
VMI
67
UNCG
74
F
Penn
67
Colum
70
F
Ohio
67
Kent
70
F
UTSA
66
FAU
73
F
W Ky
53
ODU
67
F
UTEP
90
FIU
76
F
AbCh
84
SHSU
81
F
SFA
90
CenAR
85
F(OT)
Army
69
Leh
83
F
GaSo
72
ArkSt
60
F
E IL
59
SIU-E
78
F
UtVal
88
UTRGV
68
F
NDSU
92
NebOm
96
F
Brown
58
Harv
77
F
SDSU
55
ColSt
56
F
LoyIL
70
SIU
72
F
CAPoly
84
UCRiv
77
F(OT)
LongB
71
UCDav
75
F(OT)
LaTec
81
Rice
88
F
Bama
53
TAMU
56
F
NW
62
Ind
63
F
Gram
78
ArkPB
58
F
IPFW
96
W IL
92
F(OT)
Ark
79
Aub
68
F
Seatt
53
NMSt
86
F
UMKC
77
GrCan
84
F
AF
58
UtSt
89
F
Mont
69
MTSt
78
F
UND
84
N CO
81
F(OT)
Portl
82
USD
85
F
ChiSt
49
CSBak
69
F
LoyMa
67
Pacif
66
F
NoAZ
72
PorSt
84
F
S UT
76
Sac
86
F
CSNor
80
UCIrv
83
F
CS-Ful
58
HI
64
F(OT)
Miller, No. 4 Arizona 'excited' to host No. 5 UCLA
Sat Feb 25, 2017 1:20 PM

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona-UCLA has been one of the best, most enduring rivalries in the West for about three decades. Saturday's matchup arguably is one of their most-hyped meetings ever.

These national powers are peaking at the same time. No. 4 Arizona (26-3, 15-1 Pac-12) holds a one-game lead over Oregon in the conference race. No. 5 UCLA (25-3, 12-3) is in third place and leads the nation in scoring at 92.1 points per game.

The teams are meeting for the first time when both are ranked in the top 5. This is only the seventh matchup of top 5 teams in conference history, and the first since 2008.

ESPN's College GameDay show is in Tucson to further spotlight this game, which tips off at 10:15 p.m. ET from McKale Center.

"I hope they're excited," Arizona coach Sean Miller said of his players after Thursday night's 90-77 victory over USC.

"I probably ruined their excitement a little bit after the game, but that's kind of my job. To allow them to be the most successful, they have to be really focused on the task at hand. If you start to get too excited about the game and everything about it, you end up coming unglued or have that anxiety where you're just not yourself."

Arizona won the season's first meeting, 96-85, in Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 21. The Wildcats' guards often had easy drives to the basket as the team rolled to its highest point total of the season.

Fast-paced UCLA, led by freshman point guard Lonzo Ball, has had issues with its defense at times this season, but the Bruins have been better recently, holding five consecutive opponents -- including Oregon -- to no better than 42 percent shooting.

USC shot 33.8 percent last week against UCLA, which has won six in a row.

"We're on a good roll right now," Bruins coach Steve Alford told ESPN.

"The thing that I have been really pleased with in the month of February, our guys have really improved defensively as a team. We're mixing some things up, kind of keeping them engaged, because they're such an offensive group and we score at such a high level.

"If our defense can continue to improve like it has done in February through six games, then we have a chance to do some special things."

Arizona is led by freshman 7-foot forward Lauri Markkanen, who is averaging 15.6 points, shooting 45.4 percent from 3-point range and has recently begun to show more toughness around the basket. Guard Allonzo Trier scored a season-high 25 vs. USC and is averaging 15.0 points.

He returned from a 19-game season-opening NCAA suspension for performance-enhancing drugs in the first game vs. UCLA. He scored 14 points.

UCLA leading scorer is freshman forward T.J. Leaf (17.0), followed by guard Bryce Alford (16.2, 45.5 percent shooting), but Ball makes it all go. He averages 15.0 points, 7.5 assists and 6.3 rebounds.

"Just proud of him. He's such a special player," Alford said.

"He makes guys around him better. And what we've seen here in February is now he makes guys around him better defensively. That's just how special Lonzo is. He impacts every area of the game at a high level."

Arizona has won 70 of its past 71 games at McKale Center. With a victory Saturday, the Wildcats will be one win away from an outright Pac-12 title.

"We're going to have to play with incredible effort and incredible togetherness," Miller said of the matchup against UCLA. "And even with that, they're still going to score. We enjoy the challenge, but it's an immense challenge."

Team Record Comparison

Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
UCLA  
Arizona  

Hot Players (Last 10 team games)

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