The first and only NCAA Tournament for Lonzo Ball has been a roller coaster. And fortunately for the UCLA Bruins, it hasn’t stopped yet. Ball had an awkward fall in the first half of UCLA’s opening victory over Kent State, but still contributed 15 points and led the Bruins’ efficient offense against the overmatched Golden Flashes. UCLA has the talent to play for a national championship but must avoid the letdowns in their game that caused the score to be much closer than it should have been. The Cincinnati Bearcats will certainly make UCLA pay close attention with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
This war on the floor will go down Sunday, March 19, 2017, at 9:40 p.m. ET at the Golden 1 Center. The game will be televised live on TBS. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Sunday schedule.
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Cincinnati reached the 30-win mark for the second time in program history with Friday’s win over Kansas State and they again did it thanks to their defensive effort. The Bearcats held the high-flying Wildcats to just 61 points and showed why they have one of the top ranked defensive units in the country, covering the 3-point spread in the 75-61 takedown. The Bearcats will be the underdog on Sunday and that hasn’t been good this season. In four games when Cincy was given points, they went 1-3 SU and ATS, including losses in each of the past three games.
UCLA will be a considerable favorite in this game and all eyes will be on Ball after he took a fall late in the first half of the Bruins victory over Kent State. Ball landed hard on his hip and was limping when he got up. He stayed in the game, though, and started the second half with everything looking normal. What wasn’t normal was UCLA’s defense against the scrappy Golden Flashes. Offensively the Bruins were their efficient selves, but lapses on the other end allowed Kent State to cover the 19.5-point spread.
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The Bruins broke out of a mini slump and showed why they are the nation’s top scoring offense in Friday’s opening round victory. Five players scored in double figures and UCLA, which averages better than 90 points per game, fell just short of the century mark in its 97-80 victory. With Ball directing the show, UCLA shot 63 percent from the field and drained half of its 14 three-pointers.
Not only are the Bruins the highest scoring team in the country, they also are the most accurate, and one of the most efficient. They shoot nearly 53 percent from the field as a team with four starters at 55 percent or better. UCLA can break down a defense in several ways, by driving to the hoop, draining the three or using their bigs for an inside attack. The Bruins score 123.3 points per 100 possessions, the second best rating according to KenPom.com. If everything is working, they can dismantle the best defense.
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Ball didn’t shoot much against Kent State, but he didn’t have to. When he did toss it up, he was efficient, just like the Bruins. Ball scored 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting, including 2 of 3 from behind the three-point line. But as long as he’s healthy and running the floor, the Bruins are tough to beat.
Ball makes his teammates better and they were able to get several open looks against Kent State, which turned into easy baskets. With T.J. Leaf hitting 8 of 12 and Thomas Welsh connecting on 6 of 8 shots, the Bruins feasted inside, an element of their game that often gets overlooked with the long distance prowess of Ball and Bryce Alford.
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The Bearcats need to step it up defensively to have a chance. The Bruins can hurt teams in so many ways that they are nearly impossible to defend. Turning defense into offense is important since Cincy won’t win a track meet. But the Bruins are known to have letdowns on defense which allows opponents to stay in games.
The Bruins were outrebounded by the smaller Golden Flashes and gave up 15 offensive boards. Cincy crashed the glass against K-State and will need to do the same to negate the offensive disparity. But the Bruins have too much firepower, and while this will be a close game, UCLA will pull away in the end.
College Basketball Odds: UCLA 84, Cincinnati 77
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