Cronin, UCLA Brace for March Madness Challenge

March Madness is here, and the UCLA Bruins are back in The Big Dance. The Bruins have secured a No. 7 seed in the 68-team NCAA Tournament field and are set to take on No. 10-seed Utah State in a first-round showdown on Thursday.

This marks UCLA’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last five seasons under Coach Mick Cronin.

The Bruins have established themselves as a regular presence in March Madness, with recent deep runs, including a Final Four appearance in 2021 and consecutive Sweet 16 trips in 2022 and 2023.

Despite some early-season struggles, the Bruins have hit their stride, winning 11 of their last 15 games.

Speaking during UCLA’s Selection Sunday press conference, Cronin made it clear that he and his team are ready for the challenge ahead.

“We're excited to be back in March Madness,” he said. “Last year was a tough year for us, so we're extremely excited to be here … It's been a long, long process getting back here.”

UCLA’s first-round opponent, Utah State, is led by Head Coach Jared Calhoun, a close friend of Cronin’s.

“Jared Calhoun's a close friend of mine…we laughed about this being a possibility,” he said.

Cronin emphasized two key factors heading into the tournament: health and getting hot at the right time.

“We’re healthy, and I think that’s the biggest key,” Cronin said. “We still have three practices before we play Thursday.”

The Bruins navigated their first season in the Big Ten, and Cronin acknowledged the difficulty of adjusting to a new conference, as well as the unique challenges student-athletes face at UCLA.

“It's become such a big business that people have forgotten about the fact that these guys go to school over the years,” Cronin said. “It's getting worse and worse. And then now that the guys are getting paid, it's almost forgotten totally, you know. So, the academic pieces is a concern for us.”

As the Bruins prepare for Thursday’s matchup, Cronin stressed the importance of staying focused on the task at hand.

“All that matters is preparing for Utah State better than we've prepared for any team this year," he said. "Keeping your focus on that, not on travel, not on tickets, not on where the game’s at.”

The road to the Final Four is never easy, but UCLA has the pieces to make a run. With experience, talent and a coach who knows what it takes to win in March, the Bruins are ready to take on the Madness once again.

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