Whew!
Oregon exposed UCLA's weaknesses: play zone on defense to force UCLA to make the outside shot and on offense take advantage of perimeter speed by spreading out the floor.
USC worked the same formula and had a 10 point lead and looked to be on its way to victory. Somehow, UCLA found a way to get just enough points despite shooting 38% from the field and 38% from 3-point land and a handful of defensive stops to steal the win.
I never bought into the UCLA #1 ranking.
How can a team that loses 3 key starters from last year's magical run be rated #1 this year?
Nonetheless, as a UCLA fan, I will root for them and hope they can make another magical run playing team ball.
On paper, there are probably a bunch of teams with better talent than UCLA but UCLA's team play on defense allows them to be competitive.
I have to wonder though if the wins on UCLA's schedule are really "quality wins?"
The "big wins" have been over Kentucky, George Tech, Texas A&M, Washington, Washington State and USC. However, Kentucky, G. Tech and Washington are no longer rated and USC is not rated though I think they might be before the season is over.
Anyway, the tough Pac10 schedule with these pressure packed games will be good prep for the NCAA: USC beat Oregon (84-82), Oregon beat UCLA (68-66), UCLA beat USC (65-64)!
It's the wild wild west in the Pac10!
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