It seems as if the Wildcats have learned a few things along the road to their current six-game winning streak. Things like closing out basketball games and responding to adversity have been key for Arizona, but there is one lesson I don’t think they’ve grasped yet: how to beat UCLA. The Bruins are a tough team so it wouldn’t be the end of the world if the UA drops the game, but constantly being owned by the Bruins over and over again has to wear on a team’s confidence, right?

UCLA 71, Arizona 64

Ari Wasserman
associate sports editor

The Wildcats are ashot as fudge on a sundae, but despite their improvements, they will again have trouble against the Bruins. UCLA will control the tempo, which will stifle Arizona’s offense with their half-court pressure. Darren Collison and Alfred Aboya can contain Nic Wise and Jordan Hill enough to weather a Chase Budinger hot-streak, and the Bruins won’t allow the Wildcat’s supporting cast to find enough rhythm to make up the difference.

UCLA 76, Arizona 62

Kevin Zimmerman

staff writer

You know that stereotypical bully portrayed in early ’90s sitcoms? Who would take something near and dear to some poor kid’s heart, hold it high above his head and laugh while the helpless kid jumped to retrieve his stuff? UCLA was that bully in Los Angeles last month, but guess what: the Wildcats ðð-ÿthe little kid – have grown since then, and aren’t taking any crap now. I’m calling the upset of the season.

Arizona 78, UCLA 75 (OT)

Lance Madden
associate sports editor

For whatever reason, the best slam dunk performer in the NBA will not be participating. In fact, LeBron James never participates and I am not sure why. While I am upset that LeBron is taking a seat, I have to admit that Nate Robinson is very fun to watch. He’s just 5-foot-9 but the guy dunks with the best of them. I think LeBron sitting down would be more impressive than any of the dunks in the competition, but I say the little guy pulls it off.

Nate Robinson

Ari Wasserman
associate sports editor

Dwight Howard is not just the favorite because of his athleticism, but also for the creativeness he puts into each of his dunks. Sure, J.R. Smith and Nate Robinson are great athletes, but I can only remember agonizingly long failures to complete their dunks in previous contests. As for Rudy Fernandez, well, I honestly didn’t know he could jump. In the end, if there are no Valentine’s Day hearts involved in any of the dunks, I will be sorely disappointed.

Dwight Howard

Kevin Zimmerman
staff writer

It’s no secret that dynamite comes in small packages. No one knows this better than mini baller Nate Robinson, who beat ex-Wildcat Andrea Iguodala in a dunk-off in 2006. No one is going to trump Dwight Howard’s Superman slam from last year, but this year, Robinson will quench the desert’s thirst with an unforgettable performance. Robinson’s going to come out of the Suns’ Gorilla suit and dunk from a trampoline.

Nate Robinson

Lance Madden
associate sports editor