The UCLA Bruins (11-7, 3-2) meet the Oregon State Beavers (12-5, 3-2) on the road at Gill Coliseum tonight. Tip-off is set for 6:00 PM PT. You can catch the game on PAC-12 Networks. J.B. Long and Lamar will call the game (he's in love with the Bruins again along with his bike so don't expect any major pronouncements from him. You can also listen on Tunein Radio or 570 AM. Follow along with live stats here.
Read the BN preview and the official guide at uclabruins.com (from which you can click to their exhaustive stats and tidbits).
Oregon State is the one point favorite after the line opened up at UCLA -1. Why? Tony Parker had back spasms this week, and is a game time decision.
This looked to be a tough game for the Bruins even with Parker. The Beavers are 10-0 in Gill Coliseum including an upset win over Arizona. They play a 3-2/2-3 zone for most of the game, and they air out the ball on offense.
The Bruins appear to be the more talented team, but they still need to prove they can win on a hostile court outside of Los Angeles. Their grasp on the successful inside-outside winning formula has been tenuous. Losing 50% (Parker) of that inside game may be an insurmountable challenge. Thomas Welsh will have to step up his game as Tony's replacement if necessary, and the guards must be selective from the perimeter.
Enjoy the game thread with your fellow BNers and Bruins.