UCLA is the Best Team in the Country in This Area

The UCLA Bruins have been putting the clamps on their opponents this season.

Dec 14, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) against the Arizona Wildcats at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins won yet again this past Saturday, defeating the Arizona Wildcats by a score of 57-54.

It represented UCLA's eighth straight win, and it's not like the Bruins have been beating cupcakes. Their last three victories have come against Washington, Oregon and then Arizona.

While that isn't exactly a gauntlet, it is unquestionably an impressive stretch, and keep in mind that while the Wildcats are 4-5, all five of their defeats have come against opponents in power conferences.

Things were looking somewhat bleak for UCLA earlier in the year when it lost to New Mexico in its second game. That now seems like a distant memory.

Yes, the Bruins are still experiencing some hiccups offensively. They went just 4-for-21 from 3-point range against Arizona after finally showing some progress in that area, for example.

But perhaps UCLA is still gelling in that category. Remember: the Bruins imported four transfers during the offseason, so it's going to take time for them to get used to playing with one another.

The good news is that there is one area that has not only kept UCLA afloat, but has the new Big Ten squad looking awfully dangerous: defense.

Did you know the Bruins are the best defensive team in the country?

UCLA boasts the No. 1 defensive efficiency rating in the nation, which is a massive jump from last year when it ranked 91st.

Defense definitely wins championships, and while you certainly need offense as well, that will come. It's not like the Bruins don't have talented offensive pieces.

But the fact that UCLA is already tops in the country on defense shows that the program pushed all of the right buttons in the transfer portal.

And the Bruins are just getting started, too.

Now ranked 18th in the Associated Press' Top 25, UCLA has some tough games on the horizon, as it will face North Carolina and Gonzaga in back-to-back meetings on Dec. 21 and Dec. 28.

The Bruins will then see Michigan on Jan. 7.

It's a tough schedule, yes, but with UCLA putting the clamps on just about everybody, it will stand a great chance of winning all of those games.

It's looking more and more like the Bruins will be legitimate threats in March.

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