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Welcome to Pac-12 basketball season! Tonight, the No. 21 Oregon Ducks square off against the No. 2 UCLA Bruins. If Oregon hopes to extend their nine-game winning streak, it will require handing the Bruins their first loss of the year.
For the game preview from our UCLA friends at SB Nation, check out Bruins Nation.
How to Watch
Time: 6:05 PT
TV: ESPN2
Online: WatchESPN
Radio: Oregon IMG Sports Network, 95.3 FM KUJZ in Eugene, Sirius/XM Channel 84
Oregon Notes
- After starting the season 2-2, the Ducks are riding a nine-game winning streak into conference play, most recently beating Fresno State 75-63 in Eugene on December 20.
- Oregon has been dominant at home. The Ducks currently have a 33-game home winning streak at Matthew Knight Arena. Their last home loss was to Arizona on January 8, 2015. The Ducks have never lost more than three home games in one season at Matthew Knight Arena since it opened back in 2011.
- Chris Boucher is expected to return after missing the past two games with a high ankle sprain. He’ll be needed as he is Oregon’s leading scorer this season with 14.1 points per game.
- Thanks to the defensive efforts of Boucher and Jordan Bell, the Ducks lead the nation with 8.2 blocks per game. Meanwhile, UCLA has blocked just 20 shots all season, averaging 1.5 blocks per game.
UCLA Notes
- The Bruins have climbed to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 thanks to a 13-0 start. They’ve almost surpassed last year’s win total of 15 already and should pass that mark early in Pac-12 play. This is their best start to a season since the 2006-07 campaign when they started the year 14-0.
- UCLA is 5-0 on the road this year, with their signature win coming over Kentucky, who was ranked No. 1 at the time. Their four other road wins have come at neutral sites.
- The Bruins are averaging over 95 points per game, and have six players who are averaging double figures in scoring. For comparison, the Ducks have five players scoring double digits per night.
- UCLA also has been excellent at moving the ball around, averaging almost 24 assists per game as a team. Their 307 assists, the most in the nation, are 39 more than the next best team in that category.