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Round of 32 NCAA Tournament Preview: No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 11 Creighton

By Ben Dull

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 19: UCLA Bruins forward Monique Billings (25) goes for a layup during the game between the Cal Berkeley Golden Bears and the UCLA Bruins on January 19, 2018, at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 19: UCLA Bruins forward Monique Billings (25) goes for a layup during the game between the Cal Berkeley Golden Bears and the UCLA Bruins on January 19, 2018, at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The UCLA Bruins, the No. 3 seed in the Kansas City Region, defeated American 71-60 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. They’ll take on the Creighton Blue Jays in round two, who topped Iowa 76-70 in their opener.

A look at the numbers for this second round matchup:

  • Creighton’s resiliency on the glass will be tested by the Bruins, whose 41.1 offensive rebounding rate ranks ninth in the country.
  • Don’t count on Creighton to take advantage of UCLA sending three or four players to the glass, though. Only 15 teams played at a slower pace this season.
  • UCLA’s length and athleticism can be overwhelming. Creighton shoots 37.7% from deep, the 14th highest mark in the country. They also rely heavily on the three to score — their 40.4% 3PT rate falls in the 90th percentile nationally. How will Creighton manage to create those same looks against UCLA’s athletes, and how much will that length bother their semi-contested looks?

With the help of HerHoopStats, here’s a look at the Four Factors (defined in their glossary) for each team:

Players to watch in this one:

  • Jordin Canada is one of the best point guards in the country. She dished 11 assists and had three steals in her team’s opener.
  • Monique Billings is a force on the glass and has wonderful footwork in the low post area. She had 20 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and three blocks in Saturday’s win. Even when Creighton sends a double or forces her to pick up her dribble, watch to see how she maneuvers to score or throw it out to an open teammate.
  • Jaylyn Agnew was outstanding in the opener against Iowa (24 points, five assists, 8-14 FG, 4-6 3PT, 4-5 FT). As a sophomore this season, she’s doubled her scoring output while shooting 40.6% from deep and 49.4% inside the arc.

Stats obtained via HerHoopStats.

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