Key Lessons for UCLA From Last Year's Second Round

The Bruins are in search of a deep Cinderella run, and some of the players recently have had some tournament experience with March Madness that will be looking to build upon last year's performances.

There were things to fix from their blowout first-round victory against the Utah State Aggies, but generally, that match had only positives and things to repeat in this year's first round.

UCLA, Tennessee, Basketball — Mar 22, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Felix Okpara (34) and UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) go for a rebound during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

However, things are a bit different surrounding last year's second round because UCLA lost 67-58, and there are some things that they will need to watch out for should UCLA make a deep run.

What Went Well in UCLA’s Second Round Performance Against Tennessee

The Bruins were faced with a behemoth matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers, who were seeded as the #2 team in their region and had recently had their own blowout against the No. 15 seed Wofford.

The Bruins came ready to defend the Volunteers, and it showed in two ways: the final score and the total amount of steals by UCLA.

While the previous game had seen a few steals, the Bruins were able to pull off 10 forced turnovers against Tennessee, which gave them many more possessions to move the game in their favor.

They ended up holding the Volunteers to just 67 points because of that effort, and that should have been enough for a victory; however, too many things went wrong on the offensive side to allow UCLA to move on.

What Went Wrong in UCLA's Second Round Performance Against Tennessee

After having had a great first round in shooting, the atmosphere of the tournament and the excitement of making the second round got in the way of any sort of playmaking.

Five separate Bruins missed all of their shots from beyond the arc, and those who did manage to sink some baskets were less than stellar in how many they made; only Skyy Clark was able to replicate his first-round performance.

This year, should UCLA make the second round, they will need to keep their heads up going into the match and be ready to attack the paint if the three-ball is not falling for them.

The Silver Lining From Last Year's Performance

While the game was abysmal on many ends, the starters that have stayed with UCLA played great games, such as Skyy Clark and Tyler Bilodeau; even players who used to be on the bench were amazing, like Trent Perry.

This year, they should have that same excellence while not having the rough play of players who have moved on from the Bruins, and the Sweet 16 could be on the horizon.