No. 2 Arizona Basketball faces UCLA for the Pac-12 Championship

After defeating Colorado without Kerr Kriisa, No. 2 Arizona Basketball (30-3, 18-2) returns to action to take on No. 13 UCLA (25-6, 15-5) for the Pac-12 Championship. 

The Pac-12 Tournament Championship is finally here and No. 2 Arizona Basketball should have quite the battle on their hands as the Wildcats take on conference rival, the No. 13 UCLA Bruins  in this rubber match.

The last time these two teams met, Arizona came away with the big win, beating UCLA by 10 points inside McKale Center. However, once again, Arizona will be without Kerr Kriisa who went down late against Stanford.

Coming in, the Bruins are playing well, winning their last five games, and over the past few years, they have been a thorn in the Wildcats’ side, winning six and the last seven matchups.

Even with a No. 1 seed likely locked up for Arizona, hopefully, Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats stay sharp from the start as the Wildcats look to continue their winning ways in their rubber match versus UCLA!

Getting to Know the details of Arizona Basketball’s opponent, the UCLA Bruins.

Team: UCLA Bruins

Conference: Pac-12 Conference

2020-21 Record: Finishing the year with a 22-10 (13-6) record in 2020-21, the Bruins finished in 4th place in the conference, but got hot to end the year, winning five-straight games in the NCAA Tournament as an 11-seed before falling to No. 1 Gonzaga in the Final Four.

Head Coach: Mick Cronin enters his 3rd season with the Bruins, having compiled a 66–28 (40–17) record so far. Mick is currently coaching his 19th season in the NCAA, making previous stints with Murray State and Cincinnati, having compiled a 431–199 record overall as a head coach.

Keys to the Game:

Defend the Three – So far in the Pac-12 Tournament, teams are shooting 27-52 (51.9 percent)  from three. Against an even more talented team like UCLA, the Wildcats are going to have to improve in this category if they are going to win.

If for any reason, the Bruins come out hot and are hitting shots from deep, it is going to be a long day for the Wildcats.

Let’s Get Physical – The few times these two teams met, Arizona has looked outmatched as UCLA has appeared to be the more physical and hungry team.

No matter the outcome in this one, Arizona has got to play tough, especially if they are to win. If the Wildcats can impose their will and play to their strengths, I like their chances of winning; however, it won’t be easy.

Make up for losing Kerr Kriisa – As we are all aware, Kerr, unfortunately, went down late in Friday’s game against Stanford with a nasty ankle sprain, and once again, he will not be available to play as the Wildcats take on UCLA.

Arizona did a great job against Colorado last night without Kriisa, so again, Arizona is going to have to make up for his lost production on the court. Kerr does a lot of things well and he is a spark for the Wildcats, his loss won’t be an easy one to recover from, especially in what should be an emotional game versus UCLA.

Arizona Basketball versus the UCLA Bruins game information and details:

Date: Saturday, March 12, 2022

Time: 7:00 P.M. MST / 6:00 P.M. PST

Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nev. (18,000)

Spread: -1.5 Arizona (Also, don’t forget to use WynnBet to enhance your overall betting experience)

Television: FOX

Radio: 107.5 FM (Tucson) / 1290AM (Tucson) | Arizona IMG Sports Network

Team Records:

No. 2 Arizona Wildcats (30-3, 18-2): Fresh off a win against Colorado in which the Buffaloes shot lights out from three, Arizona returns to action for what should be a tough matchup against UCLA, especially with Kerr out.

No. 13 UCLA Bruins (25-6, 15-5): The Bruins are rolling, having won five straight. And as UCLA enters this one the healthiest they’ve been in a while they are going to give the Wildcats everything they asked for and then some!

Head-to-Head Record (since 1949-50): Since 1949-50, Arizona has been outmatched by UCLA, as the Wildcats currently trail the Bruins 60-43 in the head-to-head series. UCLA has also won six of their last seven games against Arizona.

Last Meeting vs. Arizona: The last time the Wildcats played the Bruins was in Tucson in early February. Arizona came away with the big win, defeating then-No. 3 UCLA 76-66.

My Prediction: Arizona 73 UCLA 81 – I just don’t have a good feeling here, especially with Kerr Kriisa not playing in this one. To me, UCLA is one of those tough matchups for the Wildcats, and with Arizona not being 100 percent, I see the Bruins just edging out the Wildcats here.