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UCLA vs. Cincinnati prediction and game preview, as the No. 3-seeded Bruins and No. 6-seeded Bearcats face off in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

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Despite suffering a bruised right hip, star freshman Lonzo Ball played in the Bruins’ first-round matchup against Kent State, and they had absolutely no problem. No. 3-seeded UCLA came up just shy of the century mark when it took down the Golden Flashes, 97-80.

Now, the Bruins will move on and will be tasked with going up against No. 6-seeded Cincinnati Bearcats. In their first-round matchup, the Bearcats went toe-to-toe with No. 11 Kansas State and also took home a double-digit victory. Cincinnati sent the Wildcats home with a 75-61 loss.

UCLA vs. Cincinnati

Date: Sunday, March 19
Venue: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, Calif.
Region: South

UCLA wins if …

If Lonzo Ball is on the floor and healthy. He didn’t shoot much against Kent State, but he was highly effective. Ball drained 6-of-7 from the field (15 points), including 2-of-3 from behind the arc. As long as he’s running up and down the hardwood, he’ll help get the rest of the Bruins open looks at the bucket. And if T.J. Leaf gets more open looks, that will be a tremendous help, as he hit 8-of-12 from the floor to rack up a team-high 23 points.

If the Bruins continue to share the basketball and play unselfishly, the Bearcats will be in trouble. UCLA totaled 25 assists against the Golden Flashes and shot 62.7 percent from the floor. Find the open man. Trade a good look for a great look.

Cincinnati wins if …

If it continues to crash the glass and own the paint. The Bearcats outrebounded Kansas State, 31-23, in their first-round win. But they have to do a better job of playing the passing lanes and having active hands on the defensive end of the court. The Wildcats won the turnover battle, turning over the ball seven times compared to Cincinnati’s 11. The Bearcats have to turn defense into offense and get some easy buckets in transition.

Along with that, they need to keep feeding Troy Caupain. The senior guard went off for 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting, but he was 2-of-4 from beyond the three-point line, and he hit all seven of his free throws. If he gets going early, the Bearcats can ride his hot shooting — or whoever else develops a hot hand.

UCLA vs. Cincinnati Prediction

The Bearcats won’t be able to slow down the Bruins offense, and they won’t be able to stop Ball. The freshman star will rest up and will drop 20-plus points on Cincinnati, but he’ll also tack on five assists to go along with it. UCLA will play with great ball movement, excellent spacing, and rhythm, and it will take down the Bearcats by double digits to move on in the tournament.

UCLA vs. Cincinnati Score Prediction: UCLA 95, Cincinnati 77

MORE: Complete NCAA Tournament Bracket, Previews, Predictions