When UCLA takes the floor today against Arizona, reckoning may come.
 
"This is a `gotta-win' for us," Bruins freshman Shabazz Muhammad said. "We've got to win this game, no questions asked."

No. 6 Arizona (16-1, 4-1) is the conference's best team, a one-loss squad that has been ranked in the top 10 for 10 weeks straight.

In addition to besting the Bruins in most statistical categories, the Wildcats will have the benefit of a rowdy Tucson crowd all dressed in blinding white - a home-court advantage like nothing else UCLA has faced.

UCLA's recent loss to Oregon leaves little room for error; the Ducks remain the lone undefeated team through conference play, and avoid both the Bruins (15-4, 5-1) and the Wildcats for the rest of the season.

UCLA, unranked again after a brief flirtation with the polls, isn't favored. But if the Bruins don't pull off the road upset, their chances at a regular-season Pac-12 title might be nearly extinguished.

"I don't think anyone's said it, but I think we're all feeling that way right now," UCLA forward Travis Wear said. "This is a big week for us. We've got to get two wins to keep us up there near the top."

Toss in the fact that Arizona's McKale Center is traditionally one of the toughest venues in college basketball - topping 10,000 fans per game - and it's obvious the Bruins will be in for their toughest 40-minute stretch yet this season.

"This is by far going to be the most hostile environment we've been in," Wear said.

"It's gonna be a big game. We've done a good job going into games where we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. When we really know it's going to be a big game.

"I think the last time we did that was Missouri. Going into that game, we viewed that as a must-win and we did well."

But UCLA's 97-94 upset of the then-No. 7 Tigers on Dec. 28 has since lost some of its shine. Missouri has fallen to 22nd in the Associated Press poll after a 31-point loss to Florida - a team Arizona beat by one point over a month ago.

The Wildcats are also strongest where the Bruins are weak. While UCLA has been outrebounded in seven straight games, Arizona tops the conference in rebounding margin (+9.4), despite not having a single player who averages more than 6.0 boards per game.

The Wildcats' success has been helped by a trio of big freshmen: 7-foot center Kaleb Tarczewski and 6-foot-8 forward Brandon Ashley both start, while 6-foot-10 Grant Jerrett provides a boost off the bench.

Freshmen Kyle Anderson and Jordan Adams both fell ill this week with what Howland called a "stomach virus." Anderson, who leads the Bruins with 9.1 rebounds per game, missed all of Tuesday's practice.

He began eating solid food again Wednesday and returned to practice. Adams missed the middle portion of Tuesday's session but returned before it ended.

Muhammad suspected the cause may have been food poisoning from contaminated lettuce.

"They were throwing up everywhere," he said.