A team with title aspirations, the #4 UCLA Bruins (24-4, 16-11-1 ATS, 15-2 Pac-12) have a shot at a sweep of the Colorado Buffaloes (15-14, 11-17-1 ATS, 7-11 Pac-12) on Sunday afternoon. Despite trailing for most of the game, UCLA stormed back in the second half to not only win but cover as 11.5-point favorites. The 68-54 home win was the Bruin's third straight over the Buffaloes and sixth in the last seven. At 4:00 p.m. EST, UCLA will have a chance to extend their dominance over Colorado in the CU Events Center.
UCLA is on fire right now, rolling into Boulder, Colorado on a seven-game winning streak. The Bruins took down Utah 78-71 on Thursday to keep the streak alive. UCLA led for practically the entire game, including the whole second half. Hitting eight of their 15 threes, the Bruins shot 50.8% in the contest. Jamie Jaquez Jr. was right in the middle of it, with a team-high 23 points and eight rebounds in the win.
He's got 20 … for the fourth straight game.
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??: https://t.co/04O3JHxFDT#GoBruins | @jaquez_jr pic.twitter.com/ygvMqrApwU— UCLA Men's Basketball (@UCLAMBB) February 24, 2023
A lock for March Madness, the real question is how high they'll be seeded. KenPom has them as the second-best team in the country, behind only Houston, but projections have them as only a two-seed in the tourney right now. There's still time to climb and even grab the top overall seed, but they'll have to continue winning and possibly get help.
Defense is UCLA's calling card, as they are ranked second nationwide in adjusted defensive efficiency. They play a slow tempo and only allow 59.8 points per game, the seventh-fewest in the nation. They limit opponents to 40.7% from the field, 34th in the country. On threes, that number is 30.6%, 32nd in the nation.
Their offense is potent too though. They put up 74.2 points per game, the second-most in the Pac-12. They're 66th in the nation in shooting percentage at 46.6%, and also knock down 36.2% of threes which is 72nd.
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