This post was updated Jan. 29 at 9:11 p.m. “Kamikazes” are often only mentioned when discussing World War II.  But the term has a different association in Eugene.  The “Kamikaze Kids” characterized Oregon men’s basketball from 1972 to 1977, defined by the team’s full-court pressure and relentless hustle.  Yet, it was UCLA men’s basketball (15-6, 7-3 Big Ten) that embraced this defensive tenacity in its 73-57 victory against Oregon (8-13, 1-9) at Eugene’s Matthew Knight Arena on Wednesday night.  The Bruins’ defense limited the Ducks to a 35.6 field goal percentage and a 28.1% 3-point clip, while forcing 10 turnovers.  Coach Mick Cronin’s team has elicited the third-most turnovers in the Big Ten this season, forcing 13.2 per game, and UCLA has scored the second-most points off turnovers in the conference.  But turnovers are not the only measure of a team’s grit. Read more...

This post was updated Jan. 21 at 11:07 p.m. Eight seconds remained. The Bruins trailed by one. Tyler Bilodeau stood beyond the arc, ball in hand, no one between him and the basket, and with no hesitation – he let it fly. Read more...