ASU Basketball: 2019 Pac-12 Week 6 Power Rankings
By Trevor Booth
2. UCLA Bruins (7-2) LW: 3
In late November, UCLA followed a 4-0 start with consecutive double-digit losses to Michigan State and North Carolina, respectively.
People panicked. There was talk about how UCLA would be unable to compete for the Pac-12 crown and that they could miss out on the NCAA Tournament.
Things have changed since then.
UCLA has returned to its winning ways with three straight victories, the most recent coming against a quality opponent – Notre Dame.
The Bruins upended the Fighting Irish on Sunday evening 65-62 in spite of a poor performance from the field. But luckily for UCLA, Notre Dame also struggled, as both teams finished below 35 percent from the floor.
Not only did the Bruins struggle from the field, they also had troubles from the charity stripe. UCLA shot just 53.3 percent from the line while Notre Dame made more than 80 percent of its free-throw attempts.
What truly separated the opposing squads was rebounding. UCLA outboarded the Fighting Irish 52-40, a performance led by Jalen Hill, who logged 11 rebounds.
In addition to Hill, forwards Moses Brown and Cody Riley have established themselves as key rebounders for the Bruins in the early season, averaging 9.8 and 5.3 boards per game, respectively.
Another positive aspect of the Bruins’ three-point win over Notre Dame was Kris Wilkes. The sophomore led the team in scoring with 14 points. Wilkes has been productive all year, as he leads UCLA with 17.1 points per contest.
Before the conference season begins, UCLA plays four non-conference games — three at home and one on the road.
Of the Bruins’ four remaining non-conference opponents, two are high-caliber squads — Cincinnati and Ohio State. Both teams have just one loss, and the Buckeyes are ranked No. 15 in the latest AP Poll.
– Field