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‘Anybody’s game’: Men’s basketball seeks to avenge Sweet 16 loss to North Carolina

Dylan Andrews dribbles up the court. The junior guard dropped a season-high 21 points against Prairie View A&M on Tuesday. (Brandon Morquecho/Daily Bruin senior staff)

Men's basketball


North Carolina
Saturday, noon

Madison Square Garden
CBS

By Matthew Niiya

Dec. 20, 2024 6:26 p.m.

A battle between these two blue bloods happens once in a blue moon.

With 17 titles between the Bruins and Tar Heels, the two are some of the most recognizable brands in all of college basketball.

But Saturday’s encounter will not take place in either team’s signature home of Westwood or Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Instead, it’ll be in the city that never sleeps – New York City.

In a matchup of two of the most historically successful programs, No. 18 UCLA men’s basketball (10-1, 2-0 Big Ten) will take on North Carolina (6-5, 1-0 ACC) in the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden. Protecting a nine-game winning streak, the Bruins will have a chance to push that number into double digits against the Tar Heels.

After a pair of nail-biting contests that came down to the wire against Oregon and Arizona, UCLA posted 111 points against Prairie View A&M on Tuesday – its highest in a game since 2016.

“We just take our time – try not to turn the ball over. Execute our offense. Be strong with the ball. Make smart plays, and look for the best shot possible,” said sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. “And when we shoot it, go rebound it.”

Five Bruins registered double-digit scoring against the Panthers. However, exploiting weaknesses in the Tar Heel defense will almost assuredly be a taller task.

Although North Carolina has already tallied five losses, all have come against opponents now ranked in the nation’s top 25, with its most recent defeat coming at the hands of an undefeated No. 7 Florida squad.

The last time the two teams met was in the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA tournament – a game that ended UCLA’s season as a late surge propelled North Carolina to victory and an eventual national championship game appearance.

Despite that contest being just under three years ago, both squads are entirely different, barring one player – RJ Davis. The Tar Heel guard, now in his fifth year at Chapel Hill, led the team in scoring last year and is on pace to repeat that feat.

However, the losses of forward/center Armando Bacot and forward Harrison Ingram have turned the North Carolina offense more guard-centric. Elliot Cadeau and Seth Trimble have emerged as offensive weapons under coach Hubert Davis.

“Cadeau and RJ and … Trimble – them guys are great off the dribble,” said coach Mick Cronin. “(North) Carolina’s got some really fast guys off the bounce.”

The trio of guards combines for 45.1 points per game – more than half of the Tar Heels’ 86.5-point total average. But against the Bruins’ stingy defense, help may have to come from elsewhere in the Tar Heel lineup.

Prairie View A&M’s scoring outburst knocked UCLA’s defense from the top spot in points per game allowed, but the latter still ties for fourth in the nation in that category.

“We train to play really hard on the defensive end,” Cronin said. “I would say we’re better at it this year because we have better players – namely two great defenders in (junior guard) Skyy Clark and Kobe (senior guard Kobe Johnson).”

The Bruins often utilize the full-court press and high defensive intensity to their advantage, forcing an average of nearly 18.5 turnovers per game – the second-best rate in the country.

But under the bright lights of the Big Apple, the Bruins might need their offense to shine just as much as the defense has through the year.

“Everybody on this team is a potential scorer. … It could be anybody’s night,” said junior guard Dylan Andrews. “Especially when we go to New York – it could be Eric Dailey’s night. It could be Kobe’s night. It could be Skyy’s night. That’s what I love about this team – everybody is ready when their name is called.”

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