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The Rivalry Continues: No. 11 Arizona Basketball welcomes No. 5 UCLA

By Eric Townsend

TUCSON, ARIZONA - JANUARY 05: Kerr Kriisa #25 of the Arizona Wildcats passes during the game against the Washington Huskies at McKale Center on January 05, 2023 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats beat the Huskies 70-67. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
TUCSON, ARIZONA - JANUARY 05: Kerr Kriisa #25 of the Arizona Wildcats passes during the game against the Washington Huskies at McKale Center on January 05, 2023 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats beat the Huskies 70-67. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /
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TUCSON, AZ – Fresh off a convincing win over USC, No. 11 Arizona Basketball (16-3, 5-3) returns to action with a tough matchup against No. 5 UCLA (17-2, 8-0).  

Bouncing back in a big way with a convincing win over USC on Thursday evening, No. 11 Arizona Basketball will be back in action as the Wildcats welcome the No. 5 UCLA Bruins to town.

Coming in, the Bruins are rolling. They are not only arguably the best team in the Pac-12 but the best team in the country. They have tremendous talent and athleticism, and beating them is not going to be easy.

If Arizona is going to beat UCLA, it is going to have to take a much-better team performance than we have seen recently, and the Wildcats will have to bring the intensity and focus from the tip. If Arizona gets its offense rolling early, we could be in store for another exciting rivalry matchup!

With Arizona Basketball preparing for UCLA, here is how you can watch and follow their game.

Arizona Basketball vs UCLA Game Information and Details:

  • Date: Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023
  • Time: 12:00 P.M. MST / 11:00 A.M. PST
  • Television: ABC
  • Location: McKale Center – Tucson, AZ (14,655)
  • Spread: -1.5 Arizona (Don’t forget to use WynnBet or FanDuel to enhance your overall betting experience)

Arizona Game Preview:

Continuing conference play against Pac-12 foe UCLA, Arizona looks to earn the weekend sweep against the LA schools after dominating USC on Thursday evening.

Talent-wise, UCLA will be one of the best teams Arizona faces this season, and if the Wildcats are to beat the Bruins, they will need another strong performance from everyone not named Azuolas Tubelis or Oumar Ballo if they are to get the win in this one.

And coming into Saturday’s action, this should be another exciting matchup between rival programs. Overall, both teams share quite the collective history here, and while they may have mutual respect off the court, on the court these programs don’t like each other much.

Having met several times in their history, UCLA leads 51-44 since 1969, with the Wildcats winning two of the last three meetings.

The last time these teams both played each other was in Las Vegas last March in the Pac-12 Tournament. Arizona came away with a convincing, 84-76 victory after erasing a 12-point second-half deficit.

Arizona’s offense is going to need to get to work quickly, and the guards will need to step up and have a big day. Defensively, Arizona has to bring a solid effort if they hope to knock off No. 5 UCLA at home! Tip-off is set for 12:00 P.M. Tucson time!

Trending. Four Wildcats to be inducted into Arizona Basketball Ring of Honor. light

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