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It’s pretty clear this is a do-or-die season for No. 2 UCLA.
They entered the year highly-ranked and have remained near the top the entire season. Last year, they made their first Final Four appearance in program history, and with Lauren Betts back and playing in her senior season, this is the moment for the Bruins to win it all.
So far, they’ve shown all the attributes needed to be title contenders.
As a team, they make 52 percent of their shots. Only No. 1 UConn has a better shooting percentage at 53.3 percent. The wins have been plentiful, and the losses have been scarce. UCLA is 22-1 with their sole defeat coming at the hands of Texas back in late-November. They are ranked second in the country, and the only thing more impressive than their national outlook is how they’ve performed in the Big Ten. The Bruins have destroyed the Big Ten, winning all 12 of their games. The only game decided by single digits was their 82-75 win against now-No. 9 Ohio State on Dec. 28.
With the experience from last season’s heartbreak, the return of their core and relative health, UCLA is primed to achieve the three biggest team goals possible: conference title, conference tournament title and a national champions.
To get that done, however, the margin for error is slim, and the steps cannot be skipped. It takes a high level of execution and focus, plus being poised to always be your best, especially when everyone wants to take you down.
All that is why No. 8 Michigan will present a great test for UCLA on Sunday afternoon in Ann Arbor (3 p.m. ET, FOX).
The Wolverines are 20-3 on the season, having won five-straight games. Michigan only has one loss in the Big Ten, so a victory here would not only knock UCLA down, but it would put Michigan in contention for the regular-season conference crown.
The Wolverines are very guard-heavy in their production. All four of their double-digit scorers are guards. Syla Swords is a big part of their offensive success. She’s having a solid season, averaging 14.3 points per game; she’s also coming off one of her better games of the season, scoring 28 points in a win over Nebraska.
Look for UCLA to combat Michigan’s backcourt production with their frontcourt star: Betts.
She is as good as it gets. Her 16.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game make her the epicenter of everything UCLA does on both sides of the ball. If she plays her game, UCLA will do what they’ve done in 22 of their 23 contests, and that’s win.
But it’s not just about Betts; the entire team has to have the same aggression, as head coach Cori Close emphasized in a recent media availability.
Michigan is a Big Ten staple, and UCLA is still the new kid on the block in the conference.
However, as we have learned over the past couple of years, college basketball can change in the blink of an eye. USC won the Big Ten regular-season title last year, and UCLA won the tournament.
The Bruins have remained dominant, but the job is far from done. Sunday presents another opportunity to demonstrate the gap between themselves and the field. Let’s see if they use it as a chance to show why they aren’t just the best team in the conference, but, possibly, the very best in the nation.
