UCLA Men's Basketball Bracketology Roundup: March 8
The regular season has come to a close and conference championship week is in full swing, with the Bruins and the rest of the basketball world now trying to earn an automatic bid to the Big Dance.
No. 13 UCLA men’s basketball (23-6, 15-5 Pac-12) finished Pac-12 action with its first win over USC since 2019. Now, moving into the Pac-12 tournament, recent victories have slightly improved the Bruins’ positioning in projected brackets.
A trip to the finals of the Pac-12 tournament could boost the Bruins into a higher seeding position than where they are already projected, but either way, the blue and gold have solidified their standing as a top half seed. Experts are claiming UCLA is in line to start its tournament run in either the San Diego or Portland pod, so geography will play a part in the next week's events as well.
Here is where UCLA has been projected to land in brackets from experts across the internet.
South Region
No. 1 Baylor
No. 16 Norfolk State (Automatic Qualifier)
No. 8 Michigan State
No. 9 San Francisco
No. 5 Alabama
No. 12 South Dakota State (Automatic Qualifier)
No. 4 UCLA
No. 13 Iona (Automatic Qualifier)
No. 6 Iowa
No. 11 Davidson (Automatic Qualifier)
No. 3 Tennessee
No. 14 Princeton (Automatic Qualifier)
No. 7 Boise State (Automatic Qualifier)
No. 10 Creighton
No. 2 Duke (Automatic Qualifier)
No. 15 Jacksonville State (Automatic Qualifier)
Pac-12 (3): No. 1 Arizona, No. 4 UCLA, No. 7 USC
Projected into the South region alongside Baylor, the 2021 Final Four members could face off in a what-could-have-been National Championship matchup as soon as the Sweet 16.
Rick Pitino and Iona would be the first coach and team Mick Cronin and UCLA would have to battle in the first round of this projection. The two are longtime friends, as well as former colleagues from when Cronin was Pitino’s assistant at Louisville, adding a different type of weight to the potential Round of 64 showdown.
Second-round possibilities would provide a Sweet 16 rematch from 2021 against Alabama or it could bring upset-trendy South Dakota State into a duel with the Bruins.
A looming Elite Eight contest with Duke and legendary retiring coach Mike Krzyzewski could make waves as well, with UCLA getting a shot to end the career of John Wooden’s biggest challenger for greatest of all time.
East Region
No. 1 Baylor
No. 16 Bryant/Nicholls State
No. 8 Michigan State
No. 9 San Diego State
No. 5 Saint Mary’s
No. 12 SMU/Rutgers
No. 4 UCLA
No. 13 New Mexico State
No. 6 USC
No. 11 North Carolina
No. 3 Villanova
No. 14 Princeton
No. 7 Ohio State
No. 10 Notre Dame
No. 2 Kentucky
No. 15 Jacksonville
Pac-12 (3): No, 1 Arizona, No. 4 UCLA, No. 6 USC
The Bruins have never fallen to the Aggies of New Mexico State, defeating them eight times throughout their history. However, the Aggies hold the No. 1 seed in the WAC tournament, and should they win the automatic bid, the Bruins could be on upset watch in the first round.
In this projection, UCLA could face three different teams in the second round – depending on who would win the first four matchup between SMU and Rutgers. In 2015’s edition of the NCAA tournament, the Bruins advanced over the Mustangs on a questionable goaltending call. As for the Scarlet Knights, current UCLA big man Myles Johnson completed his undergraduate years at Rutgers.
Saint Mary’s would be the team either SMU or Rutgers would have to beat to reach the second round. The Gaels have triumphed over the Bruins once back in 1958. Since then, the Bruins have been undefeated against their California foes in four games.
All but one first round pairing in this bracket has recent history with UCLA. Michigan State, San Diego State, USC, North Carolina, Villanova, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Kentucky all have faced the Bruins within the past three seasons and could prove to be a fascinating duel in March.
USA Today - Shelby Mast and Scott Gleeson
West Region
No. 1 Gonzaga
No. 16 Cleveland State
No. 8 Boise State
No. 9 North Carolina
No. 4 UCLA
No. 13 New Mexico State
No. 5 UConn
No. 12 South Dakota State
No. 3 Tennessee
No. 14 Wagner
No. 6 Ohio State
No. 11 Memphis
No. 7 TCU
No. 10 Notre Dame
No. 2 Wisconsin
No. 15 Longwood
Pac-12 (3): No. 1 Arizona, No. 4 UCLA, No. 7 USC
UCLA may be unable to escape Gonzaga in March Madness, as the Bruins could win twice and be forced into a matchup against the Bulldogs.
New Mexico State has never defeated UCLA, so in the first round, the Bruins could earn the ninth victory against the Aggies. The last time they faced off, Malcolm Lee scored 20 points and helped lead the Bruins to a 100-68 win in 2009.
UConn – a second round possibility – played UCLA once in their storied history. In 1995’s March Madness, the Bruins and Huskies battled in the Elite Eight. The blue and gold came out on top, winning 102-96 thanks to a combined 48 points between Toby Bailey and Tyus Edney.
The Bruins fell to Ohio State last year and has also faced off and lost against North Carolina and Notre Dame in 2019. All three games could be rematch opportunities for Bruin seniors David Singleton, Jules Bernard and Cody Riley.
Washington Post - Patrick Stevens
Midwest Region
No. 1 Kansas
No. 16 Norfolk State (Automatic Qualifier)
No. 8 North Carolina
No. 9 Memphis
No. 4 UCLA
No. 13 Toledo (Automatic Qualifier)
No. 5 UConn
No. 12 Rutgers/VCU
No. 3 Wisconsin
No. 14 Montana State (Automatic Qualifier)
No. 6 Saint Mary’s
No. 11 Xavier
No. 7 Ohio State
No. 10 Davidson (Automatic Qualifier)
No. 2 Kentucky
No. 15 Colgate (Automatic Qualifier)
Pac-12 (4): No. 1 Arizona, No. 4 UCLA, No. 6 USC, Oregon (Next Four Out)
Although in many projections Kansas is no longer a No. 1 seed, the Jayhawks are still in the running for that spot and could create a Sweet 16 affair with the Bruins that pits two of college basketball’s blue blood institutions against each other.
UCLA and Toledo have never played one another, not even in the regular season. UConn and Rutgers could post an East Coast-West Coast clash.
VCU had to drop out of the big dance last year due to COVID-19, but now that the Rams are on their way back to March, they could relish a rematch with a UCLA squad after they dropped the 2009 meeting by one point.
In the rest of the region, Kentucky, North Carolina and Ohio State have had big non-conference matchups with UCLA in the recent past. Xavier could also be an interesting opponent for Mick Cronin – the Musketeers are his former rivals from when he was Cincinnati’s head coach.
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