UCLA Is The Bracket Buster No One Is Betting On

Over the weekend another ranked team fell to an unranked team.  UCLA defeated number 6 Arizona 74-69.  The difference between this win and the other upsets that have been common this season is that this is the second time that UCLA upset Arizona.  The last time these two teams met UCLA got another comfortable victory 84-73.

UCLA has now defeated one of the best teams in the nation twice now and remain unranked.  UCLA’s 22-7 record is what is likely keeping them out of the top 15.  The reason they are not in the top 25 is simply because no one is voting for them.  Yet, this is a top 25 caliber team when you look at their basic stats.  They are 23rd in points per game and rank 5th in the nation in assists.  Numbers like that just do not appear on a team’s stat sheet by magic.  It comes form solid, consistent play.

UCLA had a lot of hype around them coming out of the pre-season.  However they lost a couple games in November that caused a lot of sports analysts to immediately dismiss UCLA.  UCLA has admittedly also had a lack luster few months with losses scattered about all over the season.  However, they have been winning games win it matters the most.  They have won their last four games.  Their last two games of the season are against teams they have all ready beaten earlier in the season, Washington and Washington State, respectively.

All the evidence you need, though, that UCLA is a team with big-time tournament potential can be found in their Saturday win against Arizona. Over the course of the season UCLA appeared to be a team that completely leaned on their freshman star play Shabazz Muhammad.  However, when the stakes were high in a game against a ranked team, the entire squad stepped up.

Larry Drew put up  14 points and passed for nine assists.  David Wear came off the bench to score 10 points and grab nine rebounds.  Lastly, Kyle Anderson put up 17 points.

This is a team that is no longer relying on a single player.  Instead they are playing as a complete unit and they are doing it at the most opportune time, in March.