Scouting report: No. 5 Arizona vs. UCLA

Game info — Pac-12 tournament semifinals 

Matchup: No. 5 Arizona Wildcats (29-3) vs. UCLA Bruins (20-12) 

Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nev. 

Time: 6 p.m. Friday 

TV: Pac-12 Arizona 

Radio: 1290-AM, 107.5-FM  

Probable starters for Arizona 

Probable starters for UCLA  

How they got here 

UCLA finished alone in fourth place in the Pac-12 with an 11-7 record and beat No. 12 USC in the quarterfinals Thursday, when Isaac Hamilton had 36 points on 13-for-17 shooting.  

How they match up: The season series 

Thanks to the Pac-12’s unbalanced schedule, the Wildcats saw only UCLA once this season and they might be glad they didn’t have to do so twice. At McKale Center on Feb. 21, UCLA trailed by 12 points at halftime but rallied early in the second half and lost 57-47 in a defensive struggle when both teams shot under 39 percent. 

What's new with the Bruins 

UCLA has won four straight since losing at Arizona, sweeping the Washington schools at home while beating USC twice. Without forward Kevon Looney for most of Thursday’s game, the Bruins gave 28 minutes to Hungarian freshman Gyorgy “G.G.” Goloman. UCLA coach Steve Alford said after Thursday’s game with USC that he did not know the extent of Looney’s injury after he appeared to suffer a blow under his left eye. 

Arizona's key player: Brandon Ashley

Ashley had a tough time against the Bruins at McKale, with 2 of 10 field-goal shooting and just three rebounds against the talented UCLA frontcourt. But he’s been on a roll lately, with 15 points and seven rebounds against Cal on Thursday. 

UCLA's key player: Bryce Alford

So Isaac Hamilton went off for 36 points on Thursday? That’s the kind of thing that can get Rondae Hollis-Jefferson really fired up. But Alford commands attention, too: He not only runs the UCLA offense but also takes more than a third of his team’s three-pointers. He had 22 points against UA last month. 

The scout says 

“They’re playing well right now, really scoring well. Isaac Hamilton had a huge game and we have to do a great job on him. Whether Looney plays is a big factor. (He hurt UA) with the pick-and-pop. Their biggest strength as a team is rebounding.” — UA associate head coach Joe Pasternack, who scouted the Bruins. 

UCLA's Hamilton goes off on USC 

Maybe some eyes rolled when Hamilton cited his ailing grandmother for wanting to play closer to home when UTEP would not let him out of his letter-of-intent two years ago, but Hamilton just happened to score 36 points on Thursday against USC in his first game since she passed away Sunday.

“He definitely came out tough,” UCLA center Tony Parker said. “It was a big loss for his family. Isaac played really well, played tough and shot the ball well. I was proud of him.”

UCLA coach Steve Alford said he “couldn’t be happier” for Hamilton.

“For him to have a game like this, you know, on the heels of her passing, that's a pretty special situation to be in,” Alford said. 

Ex-UA coach O'Neill says Rondae deserves Pac-12 POY

If Kevin O’Neill controlled the Pac-12 postseason awards, Dana Altman would still be the Coach of the Year but the player of the year and defensive player of the year awards wouldn’t go to Joseph Young and Gary Payton II. They’d go instead to the same guy: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

KO says Hollis-Jefferson is not only the league’s top defender but also that a case could be made for him as the top player overall. 

“The player of the year should come from whoever wins the regular-season title in any league,” O’Neill said. “So it should come from Arizona and you could pick a couple different guys. To me, it’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Rondae is the best player on that team. He’s a superior athlete and the fact that he was willing to come off the bench tells me he’s a huge team guy. Tells me he’s a great teammate. Says a lot about that kid.” 

Cal coach Martin says Cats could take title 

After watching the Wildcats beat his team three times by an average of 28 points this season, Cal coach Cuonzo Martin wasn’t about to bet against the Wildcats winning a national title this season. “They have as good a chance as anybody,” Martin said. “They felt like they came up short last year and they have the parts to do it… You have a good point guard. You have wing guys and guys who can make shots. I see their chances are as good as anyone else’s.” 

Numbers game

1 — UA win over UCLA in six Pac-12 tournament games since the event moved to neutral sites in 2002.   

Numbers game

7 — Straight games UA has kept its opponents under 40 percent field-goal shooting. 

Numbers game

450 — Points scored by Stanley Johnson this season, the 10th most for a UA freshman after he passed Salim Stoudamire on Thursday.