Arizona–UCLA men's basketball rivalry
The Arizona–UCLA men's basketball rivalry is a college basketball rivalry between the University of Arizona Wildcats and the UCLA Bruins.
Sport | College Basketball |
---|---|
First meeting | February 19, 1923 Arizona 30 – UCLA 43 |
Latest meeting | January 9, 2021 Arizona 76 – UCLA 81 |
Next meeting | February 18, 2021 in Los Angeles |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 104 |
All-time series | UCLA leads, 60–44 |
Largest victory | UCLA by 53 (March 10, 1983) |
Longest win streak | UCLA, 11 (February 17, 1979–March 8, 1984) |
Current win streak | UCLA, 4 (January 26, 2019–present) |
Locations of Arizona and UCLA |
Series history
Arizona | UCLA | |
---|---|---|
First Season | 1904 | 1919 |
NCAA Championships | 1 | 11 |
NCAA Final Fours | 4 | 18* |
NCAA Tournament Appearances | 35* | 49* |
Conference Championships | 29 | 37 |
Conference Tournament Championships | 7 | 4 |
All-Americans | 30 | 38 |
Consensus 1st Team All-Americans | 8 | 21 |
The rivalry dates from the first games in 1923, but the true intensity of the series would not occur until the addition of Arizona to the Pac-10 in 1978. Since becoming conference foes, the game is played typically twice per season. The Wildcats and Bruins have faced off 10 times in conference tournament games.
Before the arrival of Lute Olson at Arizona, the Bruins had won 21 of 24 games against the Wildcats. UCLA had been seen as the dominant college basketball program in the west, with few teams able to challenge UCLA for the throne beyond a few wins. The rivalry did not gather steam until Lute Olson’s arrival in 1984, who compiled a 28–23 record against the Bruins during his tenure as Arizona’s head coach.
Since then, the two schools competed for the Pac-10 (now Pac-12) Championship every year, with the two teams winning 22 out of the 30 conference titles, and 8 of 17 conference tournament titles. Arizona clinched their first conference title in 1986, when they won on the road at UCLA in Olson's third season.[1][2] The UCLA-Arizona basketball rivalry is still seen as the match up of the two premier teams in the conference.[3] Also, the performance of the two schools influences the national opinion of the conference. Mike Montgomery, former head coach at both Cal and Stanford has stated, "...If those two are not good, the conference is not perceived as being good. People don't give credit to the schools across the board in the league."
Results
Arizona victories | UCLA victories | Ties |
|
Ranked Games
Arizona & UCLA have played 29 games when both programs were ranked. UCLA has 18 wins & Arizona has 11 wins
- March 20, 1976 #5 UCLA 82 vs. #15 Arizona 66 − 1976 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament
- December 29, 1977 #8 UCLA 85 vs. #13 Arizona 63
- January 13, 1990 #19 UCLA 73 vs. #18 Arizona 67 − 1st match up in series history while members of the same Pac-10 conference & both teams were ranked.
- January 12, 1991 #6 Arizona 82 vs. #7 UCLA 77
- February 10, 1991 #5 Arizona 105 vs. #14 UCLA 94
- January 11, 1992 #2 UCLA 89 vs. #6 Arizona 87 − First match up between both programs ranked inside the top 10. Ended Arizona's 71 game home winning streak, 10th longest streak in NCAA history.[4]
- March 12, 1992 #8 UCLA 89 vs. #2 Arizona 81
- January 7, 1993 #20 Arizona 82 vs. #15 UCLA 80
- January 20, 1994 #2 UCLA 74 vs. #9 Arizona 66
- February 19, 1994 #15 Arizona 98 vs. #8 UCLA 74 − Largest margin of victory (24 points) by either program while both programs were ranked.
- January 19, 1995 #4 UCLA 71 vs. #11 Arizona 61
- February 18, 1995 #6 UCLA 72 vs. #12 Arizona 70
- January 20, 1996 #18 Arizona 88 vs. #13 UCLA 79
- February 15, 1996 #18 UCLA 76 vs. #13 Arizona 75
- February 13, 1997 #24 UCLA 66 vs. #11 Arizona 64
- January 3, 1998 #8 Arizona 87 vs. #9 UCLA 75
- January 2, 1999 #10 UCLA 82 vs. #6 Arizona 75
- March 6, 1999 #13 Arizona 87 vs. #12 UCLA 70
- January 20, 2000 #2 Arizona 76 vs. #25 UCLA 61
- February 15, 2001 #24 UCLA 79 vs. #8 Arizona 77
- January 19, 2002 #15 Arizona 96 vs. #9 UCLA 86
- February 14, 2002 #20 UCLA 77 vs. #9 Arizona 76
- January 5, 2006 #17 UCLA 85 vs. #21 Arizona 79
- January 20, 2007 #3 UCLA 73 vs. #11 Arizona 69
- February 17, 2007 #5 UCLA 81 vs. #19 Arizona 66 − Lute Olson's final game against UCLA, would finish with a 28-23 record all-time versus UCLA.
- March 15, 2013 #24 UCLA 66 vs. #21 Arizona 64 − 2013 Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
- January 21, 2017 #14 Arizona 96 vs. #3 UCLA 85
- February 25, 2017 #5 UCLA 77 vs. #4 Arizona 72 − First & only match up with both programs ranked inside the top 5. Also 1st meeting with both programs ranked on |College GameDay & 4th College GameDay meeting overall (UCLA 3−1).
- March 10, 2017 #7 Arizona 86 vs. #3 UCLA 75 − 2017 Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
Notes
A 1976 NCAA Elite Eight
B 1990 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
C 2003 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
D 2006 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
E 2010 Pacific-10 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
F 2012 Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
G 2013 Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
H 2014 Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
I 2015 Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
J 2017 Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
K 2018 Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
References
- Rivera, Steve (February 20, 2015). "Arizona-UCLA rivalry still burning hot as Pac-12 clubs set to face off". FoxSports.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015.
- Dodds, Tracy (March 4, 1986). "Arizona Climbs Over the Top at Pauley Pavilion : Wildcats Beat UCLA, 88–76, to Clinch a Share of Pacific 10 Championship". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015.
- Yoon, Peter (January 23, 2013). "As usual, UCLA-Arizona is 'must-win' game". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014.
- "Longest NCAA Homecourt Win Streaks, Page 88" (PDF).