They couldn’t win with their star freshman Markelle Fultz on the court, so it’s expected that they are going to lose when he’s not there. The freshman, who leads the PAC-12 in scoring and could fill up the stat sheet well – 23.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG – has missed three of the team’s last five games, and his status for Wednesday is still uncertain.
In the most recent loss, they fell to Washington State, 79-71, for their eighth straight defeat. Noah Dickerson led the attack in the losing effort, recording a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds. He and David Crisp, who are number two and three in the team in scoring, are expected to shoulder the offense whenever Fultz is sitting out, which they did in the three games it has happened this season (Dickerson – 16 PPG, 8.7 RPG, Crisp – 20.7 PPG).
Dickerson, however, was the only player on the team other than Fultz to reach double figures in their previous meeting with UCLA. But whether they all play big or not, the three are obviously mere mortals to the godlike offense of the Bruins, who trounced the Huskies in the contest, 107-66.
Through 16 conference games, Washington is only putting up 70.9 points on 42.1 percent shooting, while allowing opponents to score 81.3 points and shoot for 48.6 percent, all of which are among the worst in the PAC-12.
The Huskies are 1-10 on the road this season (2-9 ATS).
The Bruins weren’t able to play at their best in their 77-72 victory over Arizona on Saturday night. They shot a modest 45.3 percent from the floor, including only hitting eight of 26 attempts from downtown, and couldn’t stop Allonzo Trier, who went 11-for-14 for 28 points.
A win is a win, though, and it extended their winning streak to seven.
Everyone should be a whole lot better against Wednesday’s visitors. UCLA is still, by far, the best offense in college basketball – bar none. Their 91.6 points and 21.6 assists on 52.9 percent shooting on the year are all number one in the country, and Kenpom.com, rightfully so, has them consistently listed at the top of the offensive efficiency rankings.
When they routed the Huskies about a month ago, almost every Bruin had a field day, as Lonzo Ball, Bryce Alford, TJ Leaf, and sixth-man Aaron Holiday each scored 20-plus. Their 83 combined points alone outscored Washington.. and more. It’s a good preview of what might happen at Pauley Pavilion.
