Kentucky-UCLA to deliver epic blue-blood battle
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The hype was warranted. The preseason expectations were well within reason. Kentucky and UCLA were predicted to be two of the best teams in the country based on their fantastic freshmen, and neither has disappointed — a combined 62 wins between them.
It makes it hard to believe it was only a year ago that Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Bam Adebayo and Sacha Killeya-Jones — along with UCLA’s Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf — all were in Chicago, competing in the McDonald’s All-American Game. Now they are two wins away from a Final Four.
“It feels like yesterday,” Monk said Thursday at FedExForum, as second- seeded Kentucky prepared to face third-seeded UCLA in a South Region semifinal. “We both went to great programs, so we knew we were going to meet each other at some point.”
They met early on into their freshmen seasons, a track meet of a non-conference game Dec. 3 won by UCLA at Kentucky, 97-92, in one of the best games of the regular season. The Bruins snapped the Wildcats’ 42-game home winning streak, a victory that stamped them as title contenders. Now they will face each other again, only with much more on the line — a shot at the Elite Eight, one win away from booking a trip to the Final Four in Glendale, Ariz.
“When the bracket was released, everyone talked about the South Region, and this is a game a lot of people circled,” Fox said.
Fox’s matchup against Ball holds the most intrigue of any individual showdown. Two point guards, with opposite styles, expected to go high in the draft, if not in the top five. Ball — known for his playmaking ability, awkward-looking jump shot and clutch performances — changed everything for UCLA this year, engineering a 16-win turnaround, the nation’s leader in assists at 7.6 per game. Fox, who some have compared to former Kentucky point guard and fourtime NBA All-Star John Wall, is one of the fastest players in the country. He is a strong defender, absurdly long and an athletic marvel.
“De’Aaron is a great player, one of the best guards in the country, hands down,” Ball said. “It’s a tough matchup. [I] got to come ready to play because I know he is.”
It is being billed as the game of the tournament so far — two of the sport’s most recognized programs, 19 national championships between them, both featuring elite NBA prospects: Fox, Monk, Adebayo for Kentucky; Leaf and Ball for UCLA all are projected firstround picks .
UCLA, absurdly deep with six players averaging in double-figures, leads the nation in points per game (90.2) and assists (21.6), and is fourth in 3-point field-goal percentage (40.6). Kentucky is ninth in scoring (85.2), and is one of the best rebounding teams in the country, 13th on the glass (40.2). For once, neither Kentucky (31-5) nor UCLA (31-4) will have to deal with an opponent looking to slow it down. Both will push the ball. The game will have three speeds: fast, faster and fastest.
“With the talent that’s out there, who knows how many points can be scored,” UCLA guard Bryce Alford said.
Each side feels it is primed to win a national championship, if it can survive Friday night, of course.
“The team that wins this game has a great shot going forward,” Alford said. “It’s two of the best teams in the country going at it.
“I’ve played in a lot of big games in my career, but this one should be one of the more special ones.”