Monday, February 17

UCLA men’s basketball to begin winter slate against former Pac-12 opponent Arizona


Sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. passes the ball into the key. (Michael Gallagher/Assistant Photo editor)


Men's basketball


Arizona
Saturday, 12 p.m.

Footprint Center
ESPN2

People say how a team performs in December is not always how the team performs in March.

But in sports, adversity reveals a team’s true colors.

The Bruins proved they could hang with the best of the best Sunday when junior guard Dylan Andrews banked in a last-second step-back 3-point attempt to help his team down No. 12 Oregon.

And with three contests against ranked or previously-ranked teams coming in December, No. 24 UCLA men’s basketball (8-1) will begin its winter slate against Arizona (4-4) on Saturday at noon in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Bruins and Wildcats will commence a new edition of their storied rivalry – outside of the Pac-12 for the very first time – with UCLA in the Big Ten and Arizona in the Big 12.

“We are playing against a good Arizona team early in the season, so I feel like all these games are just preparing us for the future and preparing us for March,” Andrews said.

(Brianna Carlson/Daily Bruin staff)
Junior guard Dylan Andrews elevates for a 3-point attempt at the extended elbow. (Michael Gallagher/Assistant Photo editor)

The Bruins are on the heels of their tightest win of the season – a 73-71 thriller in which the team drilled 12 shots from deep and forced 13 turnovers to lead both categories.

If the Bruins can prolong their status as the No. 1 scoring defense in the nation – holding teams to 55.1 points per game – and maintain efficiency from beyond the arc, they could prove threatening to a weaker Wildcat defense.

Heading into Saturday’s affair, the Wildcats concede an average of 72.8 points per game and have lost four out of their last six matchups. Arizona also yields 11.6 turnovers a game, which could be higher Sunday as UCLA ranks third in the nation with its 18.2 forced turnovers a game.

“You have to give all-out effort 24/7 unless you’re going to get pulled out of the game. You have got to play defense, that’s the main thing,” said senior guard Kobe Johnson. “I haven’t played for a defensive-minded coach like Cronin (coach Mick Cronin) before,, so it’s definitely different, but it’s definitely something I have enjoyed so far.”

Defensively, the Bruins are all too familiar with the Wildcats’ greatest offensive threat – guard Caleb Love. Three seasons ago, when Love was a freshman at North Carolina, he hit a deep 3-pointer to clinch a Sweet 16 matchup against UCLA in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, as a senior at Arizona, Love scored 14 and 17 points in both of the Wildcats’ victories over the Bruins.

Love remains the primary weapon for the Wildcat offense, averaging 14.1 points per game despite shooting an inefficient 37.2% from the field and 29.5% from 3-point range.

Guards KJ Lewis and Jaden Bradley and forward Trey Townsend all average at least 10 points a game with 10.3, 12 and 11.3, respectively. The Wildcats’ strongest threat from deep may come in 3-point specialist Anthony Dell’Orso. The guard has averaged 10 points a game this season shooting 50% beyond the arc.

“Obviously, they have had a changing of the guard so to speak, since coach Lloyd’s (Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd) been there, he had Ballo (former Arizona center Oumar Ballo) and Larsen (former Arizona guard Pelle Larsson), … so they have had a lot of change in their personnel, but they’re still the same,” Cronin said.

Offensively, sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. has been the Bruins’ principal scorer in recent contests. The Palmetto, Florida, local had his best outing Sunday, dropping 19 points and five rebounds on 87.5% shooting from the field. On the season, Dailey has maintained a 59.2% clip from the field and 47.4% from deep.

“Eric’s shooting percentage is a product of his shot selection, his role on the team he ends up open a lot and his work,” Cronin said. “I’m sure he was probably here at 6 a.m. shooting, or maybe again at 7 p.m. shooting. He’s as dedicated a player as I have ever coached.”

Assistant Sports editor

Dullinger is a 2024-2025 assistant Sports editor. He was previously a Sports contributor. Dullinger is a second-year business economics and political science student from Sandy Hook, Connecticut.


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