UCLA at Memphis

Memphis has had a pretty easy road to this point. They have made it easy for themselves as their athletic players have scored a lot of points and they have done a wonderful job pressuring the basketball and causing poor shot selections. They face their first true test in quite a long time today however, as they will face a well-tested and tough UCLA team. As we get deeper into the tourney, defense matters more and more. And Memphis faces a tough defensive opponent tonight in the Bruins. Another problem for Memphis is that they have been able to win games and score a lot of points without actually shooting a quality percentage. UCLA shoots a higher FG% and 3pt%. This is due to Memphis' more athletic and taller players when playing a softer schedule (and even softer opponents in this tournament). Tonight they face a physical UCLA team with plenty of height and you will see Memphis struggle to get the 2nd and 3rd shot opportunities at the basket as they are used to. With fewer shots, pressuring defense and a lower scoring game against a tournament tested opponent, this is a game where we will likely see the second 1 seeded team lose. Take the points and don't be surprised if UCLA wins straight up.