Less than three weeks ago, UCLA was staring at games against Kentucky, Gonzaga and North Carolina after a disappointing effort in the Maui Invitational.
This was to be a test. Basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy’s projections gave the Bruins a 1% chance of winning all three games.
They’ll have to settle for two out of three. No. 11 North Carolina sprinted past No. 22 UCLA in the second half Saturday at the Barclays Center for an 89-76 victory over the Bruins.
Last season, North Carolina beat UCLA by 22 points. Isaac Hamilton could not have played much worse.