UCLA will look to stay undefeated in conference play this season, but three key Oregon players stand in the way and could threaten the Bruins.

Last game, the Bruins really struggled against individual performances, especially against star center Hannes Steinbach, a player who put up 29 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 11 for 12. UCLA has a new set of talent looking to bring them down.

Nate Bittle | Center

Hannes Steinbach exposed a key weakness in UCLA’s defense — the Bruins struggle against skilled centers. Fortunately for UCLA, they haven’t faced many this season. That changes against Oregon, where they’ll match up with a player on Steinbach’s level in Nate Bittle.

The 7’0 center from Oregon is averaging 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, while shooting 48.3%. Bittle is the Ducks’ leading scorer and rebounder this season. Shutting him down quickly will be in the Bruins’ best interest.

Xavier Booker will have to learn quickly from the Washington showdown if there is any hope in slowing down Bittle.

Kwame Evans Jr. | F

Like Bittle, Kwame Evans Jr poses as a serious rebounding threat. Something that Eric Dailey Jr will have to slow down. Dailey Jr has struggled as of late, but we can be sure that he will not be outplayed on a stage as big as this one.

Evans Jr is averaging 12.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting an impressive 50% from the field. His ability to rebound and score at a high level will make him a threat in this game.

In his last game against USC he scored 23 points, while shooting 6-12. He also shot well from three going 2-5, highlighting another aspect of his game that UCLA needs to be cautious of.

Jackson Shelstad | G

The Ducks’ second-highest scorer this season has been Jackson Shelstad, a player who could prove to really make things hard for the Bruins’ star Donovan Dent.

At this point of the season, Shelstad has been very solid, averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. He has been doing this on an OK 36.9% shooting percentage. Shelstad has proven to be the Ducks’ number two threat this season, and figuring out how to stop him and Bittle will be a tall task.

With Dent looking better all-around, this matchup will be a huge decider in this one. However, that is only a third of the challenge; the Bruins will also need to figure out how to slow down Bittle and Evans Jr.

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