How Win Against Michigan Would Change Everything for UCLA

The Bruins biggest text of the season will come against No. 2 Michigan.

The Bruins seriously need a win against Michigan. While they were able to win against No.4 Purdue, UCLA still needs to build its resume down the stretch. After Michigan, they'll have Michigan State, Illinois, and then a little bit after that, Nebraska.

UCLA Makes a Deep Run

Feb 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) shoots the ball in the first half against the Washington Huskies at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

If the Bruins are able to take down Michigan, their season will hit a huge turning point. This win should propel them deep into the NCAA tournament. While there are still a lot of games to go, the confidence that comes after a win like this is immeasurable.

A win like this shoots their stock up almost 10-fold. Right now, they are a tenth seed in the NCAA bracket. After a win, they could easily move up to a 7th or even a 5th seed if they're able to capitalize on the games after this. To cap things off, they might even get a number next to their name.

Feb 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin instructs players in the second half against the Washington Huskies at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The seven losses UCLA has accumulated this season will amount to almost nothing. While they still hurt, a win against Michigan will prove that UCLA has finally figured it out. With the talent, the Bruins have a deep tournament run in the cards.

New-Ceiling Following a Win

Jan 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) reacts after a dunk in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Right now, the most realistic ceiling for the Bruins is a second-round elimination. As the minutes mount, fatigue will become a factor early in the tournament. However, a win against Michigan makes every opponent after that look that much easier, which could mask the fatigue.

As mentioned earlier, a win against Michigan will significantly increase UCLA's stock. This should mean UCLA gets a much better seed than it has now. This, in turn, will give UCLA easy opponents and a newfound confidence that wasn't present before.

Looking at these factors, the Bruins could easily make the Sweet 16 or even the Elite 8 if they can really get things going after a win against Michigan. A Final Four is very unlikely, while tempting to set that as their expectations, the Bruins still have ways to go.

Feb 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin talks with guard Trent Perry (0) and guard Brandon Williams (5) in the second half against the Washington Huskies at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Getting there is harder than it seems. Michigan is obviously a very talented team. That being said, the odds that UCLA can even make this game competitive could be a stretch. However, if the Bruins are able to play the way they did against Purdue, they have a solid shot.

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