Are Bruins at Risk of Missing NCAA Tournament Again?

After an impressive 10-2 start to the season, the UCLA Bruins looked like an early candidate for a Big Ten title as well as a top-five seed in the NCAA Tournament. After what has transpired over the past four games, they may miss the big dance once again.

Jan 13, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Sebastian Mack (12) goes to the basket as Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Jamichael Davis (1) defends during the first half at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (11-6, 2-4 B1G) have turned their season from being a conference title and national championship contender to a team that may just be on the bubble to even make the NCAA Tournament after what has transpired over the past four games.

Currently on a four-game losing streak and falling to the bottom of the standings in the Big Ten, the Bruins have begun to squander a season that looked so promising after the first few months of the year.

This was the same group that held the Arizona Wildcats to 54 points in a win, took down No. 12 Oregon early in the year, and knocked off No. 14 Gonzaga, only allowing 62 points. From what was shown early on is nothing like what we are seeing from this group recently.

According to JBR Bracketology, two weeks ago, the Bruins were predicted to be a four-seed in the upcoming March Madness tournament. They were ranked 15th in the country at the time, have since become unranked, and are now slated to be a nine, possible 10-seed in the tournament.

A few more conference losses and this team could be playing themselves out of the tournament for the second-straight year. They missed the big dance last season with a 16-17 record and early exit in the Pac-12 tournament. Something must be done to avoid that from happening for another year.

Over the next three weeks, the Bruins will prove if they are a team that will bounce back and become a serious tournament team. They will face three top-ranked teams over the coming weeks including No. 24 Wisconsin, No. 13 Oregon, and No. 12 Michigan State.

Sweeping that set of ranked teams is a tall task, but stealing two of the three will earn this team some valuable wins and help their case to make the tournament. After falling to four-straight unranked Big Ten teams, UCLA must recover what was working when they knocked off two top-15 teams.

Looking at it with more of an optimistic eye, it is better that the Bruins find their struggle point at this juncture of the season instead of the final two or three weeks. They still have time to work out of this funk and recover what has been lost over the past few games.

Their journey back to being a dangerous team in the conference and country starts this Friday when they host the Iowa Hawkeyes (12-4) at Pauley Pavilion. A win is more than needed as the Bruins and Coach Mick Cronin will do anything to earn this win and stay afloat in the Big Ten.

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