Jan. 07--Fortunes can change swiftly in the Pac-12 Conference. Follow the trajectory of UCLA's basketball team: one day, a top contender in the conference, with victories over a couple of the nation's best. A weekend later? The basement.
That reality hit UCLA on Sunday evening. After a loss to Washington State followed a loss to Washington, defeats at the hands of two of the conference's weakest teams in a span of three days, the Bruins lingered in the locker room longer than they have after any game this season, marinating in the missed opportunity.
When they emerged, they limped and shuffled to their bus.
The winless trip prompted soul searching. It also changed the complexion of Thursday's home game against No. 7 Arizona.
What could have been an early struggle for dominance in the West has turned into a battle for survival. Arizona lost only two Pac-12 games on its way to a conference title last season. It lost only three the season before. A third loss, then, could leave UCLA teetering out of contention.
"They're going to know the importance of this," UCLA Coach Steve Alford said of the Bruins.
The loss to Washington State, in particular, left UCLA grappling with difficult questions.
What kind of team is it? Early results offered hope that this season might be more than just a bridge to a promising incoming recruiting class. UCLA played the most difficult nonconference schedule in the Pac-12, according to basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy.
The Bruins defeated then-top-ranked Kentucky at home and then-No. 20 Gonzaga on the road. And they were tied at halftime against No. 11 North Carolina in New York.
In other instances, UCLA (9-6, 0-2 in Pac-12 play) has done little more than show up.
How could the same team that defeated Kentucky and Gonzaga get manhandled by Washington State?
"That one's a hard one for us to figure out," Alford said. "I felt like we're, and feel like we're, a pretty good team that struggled out of the gate."
UCLA has identified its problem areas. Center Thomas Welsh said UCLA lacked defensive intensity. Guard Bryce Alford said the team is eager to show the trip was an aberration.
"I think our guys are just itching to play again," Bryce Alford said.
In a way, Arizona is an ideal opponent for UCLA to launch a turnaround.
It is difficult to determine whether Arizona is as good as it was last season, when it reached a regional final in the NCAA tournament. But the Wildcats rarely have issues with intensity. Arizona (13-1, 1-0) has lost only to Providence, now ranked eighth.
