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UCLA vs. Oregon Preview: Bruins out for revenge

By Evan Lovett

Dec 28, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Aaron Holiday (3), center Thomas Welsh (40), forward TJ Leaf (22) and forward Ike Anigbogu (13) look at a replay at the end of the game against the Oregon Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Aaron Holiday (3), center Thomas Welsh (40), forward TJ Leaf (22) and forward Ike Anigbogu (13) look at a replay at the end of the game against the Oregon Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports /
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For this UCLA vs Oregon preview, one thing is certain — revenge.

Looking to avenge their heartbreaking first loss in the promising 2016-2017 campaign, the UCLA Bruins basketball team faces a plucky University of Oregon squad on Thursday night in Pauley Pavilion.

The late-December match up in Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, was a dramatic affair as the then-No. 21 Ducks defeated then-No. 2 UCLA with a buzzer beater by Dillon Brooks.

The Bruins were undefeated at the time and primed to move into the No.1 spot with a win.

Fast-forward to Thursday, and the fifth-ranked Ducks (21-3, 10-1 Pac-12) come in with a higher ranking of the two Pac-12 powers.

The Bruins (21-3, 8-3) now check in at No.10, and have regained some momentum with a thrashing of Washington and Washington State, which followed consecutive defeats.

Also, Oregon is coming off of a very impressive dismantling of then-No. 5 Arizona, a game in which they hit 16 3-pointers in the 85-68 victory.

UCLA, whose victory over the University of Kentucky and 16 consecutive wins to start the season, garnered them a high-profile, are now only 1-2 against Top 50 RPI teams.

They need a hallmark victory in this contest to bolster their chances of gaining a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Though the Bruins rank second in the nation in points per game (92.9), they have fallen short this year on defense.

Ken Pomeroy, who is renowned for his Advanced Analysis of College Basketball, ranks the Bruins 115th (out of 351 teams) in defensive efficiency, a woeful mark for a team with Final Four aspirations.

This measurement projects that the Bruins allow 102.3 points per 100 possessions. By comparison, Oregon ranks 12th in defensive efficiency. No team has ever reached the Final Four with a ranking below 81st.

That said, the Bruins rank 1st in the offensive efficiency rankings, scoring 125.1 points per 100 possessions – the Ducks rank 35th.

The Bruins have six players averaging double figures in points, led by TJ Leaf at 17.1ppg and Bryce Alford at 16.4ppg. Brooks, Oregon’s scoring leader, averages 14.4 ppg.

Next: UCLA Commit LaMelo Ball Scores 92 Points

Tipoff is scheduled for Thursday at 7pm PST, and the game will be nationally televised by ESPN.

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