UCLA vs. Arizona Prediction, Game Preview

UCLA vs. Arizona prediction and game preview. The Wildcats host the Bruins on Saturday night in a Pac-12 showdown featuring top-five teams riding winning streaks.

UCLA vs. Arizona Game Preview

When: Saturday, Feb. 25 – 8:15 p.m. ET
Where: McKale Center, Tucson, Ariz.
TV Broadcast: ESPN

UCLA fans held their collective breath when Lonzo Ball limped to the locker room in the first half of Thursday night’s game at Arizona State with a foot injury. But Ball proved he couldn’t be stopped that easily, returning before halftime to lead the Bruins to an 87-75 victory and their sixth consecutive victory.

Ball finished with a season-low four points – he attempted only six shots – but he added 11 rebounds and five assists to help UCLA (25-3, 12-3), which also got 25 points from fellow standout freshman T.J. Leaf. The Bruins still sit two games back of Arizona in the Pac-12 race, and pulling closer won’t be easy having to play in front of a raucous crowd in Tucson.

The fans certainly will be on Leaf, who committed to Arizona before signing with UCLA. And speaking of recruiting, the Wildcats will be trying to make a lasting impression on 2017 5-star point guard Trevon Duval and 2018 5-star forward Emmanuel Akot, both of whom are making official visits. But the main focus is on the present.

The Wildcats (26-3, 15-1) are vying for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and have won five in a row. They ran away in the second half for a 90-77 victory over USC on Thursday as sophomore star Allonzo Trier scored 25 points, his most in 10 games since returning from suspension.

Trier made his season debut at UCLA on Jan. 21, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists off the bench to help Arizona earn a 96-85 victory. Ball’s 24 points and eight assists in that contest weren’t enough, and he’ll be out to help the Bruins get some revenge Saturday night.

UCLA Wins If …

… it wins the rebounding battle. The Bruins were out-rebounded 42-33 in the first meeting as Leaf finished with a season-low three. Furthermore, Arizona guard Kobi Simmons, who averages 2.2 rebounds per game, had a season-high six boards. Leaf and Thomas Welsh will have to be active on the glass and contain Wildcats 7-footer Lauri Markkanen, but the Bruins might be catching a break with Arizona big man Dusan Ristic not at 100 percent health-wise.

Arizona Wins If …

… Simmons gets back on track. Trier and Markkanen are going to get their points, but Simmons could be the X-factor. The freshman scored a season-high 20 points against UCLA in the first meeting and averaged 12.1 points through that contest. But in the nine other games since Trier’s return, Simmons 7.4 points and shooting 35.2 percent from the field and he’s come off the bench the last five games. If Arizona gets him going again, it could cruise.

Matchup To Watch

Markkanen vs. Leaf

Two of the nation’s premier freshmen are going to be in an inside-out battle all night. Both can play away from the hoop or bang inside. Markkanen got the better of the matchup last month, and Leaf surely would like to get some revenge while silencing some the hecklers in the crowd.

Betting Odds

Spread: Arizona -2
Over/Under: No line as of post