After a humbling 16-point loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals, No. 7 seed UCLA men’s basketball (22-10, 13-7 Big Ten) will have a chance to redeem itself in the NCAA Tournament. The team will face No. 10 seed Utah State (26-7, 15-5 Mountain West) in the first round on Thursday, followed by a matchup against either No. 2 seed Tennessee (27-9, 14-4 SEC) or No. 15 seed Wofford (19-15, 10-8 SEC). Daily Bruin Sports’ men’s basketball beat takes a crack at predicting the Bruins’ fate through the Big Dance.
Ira Gorawara
Sports editor
Prediction: Round of 32 loss
There’s two ways of looking at Friday’s loss – wait, I mean Friday’s humiliation.
I had to correct myself because it wasn’t just another defeat. It was a complete collapse – devoid of identity, effort or anything resembling March basketball.
Am I bitter that the Bruins’ one-and-done disaster forced me to suddenly reschedule my flights and prematurely depart one of the coolest stadiums I’ve reported from? Yes. But that’s not the only reason why Friday’s showing felt like a masterclass in basketball misery.
The first takeaway is the obvious – UCLA men’s basketball looked dismantled on both ends. It chucked 3s like a team built to make them. It couldn’t defend screens and couldn’t play defense to save its life.
And that’s not a rhythm that’ll help a team heading into the Big Dance.
But the other way to look at it is the history. UCLA has only rebounded after sinking into a slump. Coach Mick Cronin revs up the intensity, and the team that emerges seems brand new.
So you could say that Friday’s loss was a trigger for the Bruins.
But my bitterness – and shades of realism – are telling me no.
I’ll agree that Cronin has enough to steer past the Aggies on Thursday, but if the going gets tough against the Volunteers on Saturday, the Bruins will be far from being the tough who get going.
Matthew Niiya
Daily Bruin reporter
Prediction: Round of 32 loss
Despite my Big Ten tournament prediction being correct, I was still surprised by the result.
It wasn’t the loss to No. 5 seed Wisconsin that shocked me – that’s what I had guessed.
But did I expect UCLA to get run out of the gym and allow a Big Ten tournament record-tying amount of 3s?
Can’t say that was on my bingo card.
John Tonje and company put on a clinic and did something few opponents have been able to do – force the Bruins to play their opponents’ style.
Cronin instills a strong defensive identity into his players in the hope that they will wear down their opponents through 40 minutes. And offensively, the Bruins are well aware that they are not going to shoot the lights out.
Yet for some reason, they found themselves in a track meet with the Badgers and chucked up a season-high 30 attempts from beyond the arc.
March is the time to hone in on one’s style of play, not fall into the traps of others. If UCLA is unable to make adjustments and impose its will, an early and lengthy offseason of reflection awaits.
Kai Dizon
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: Final Four appearance
Not only did UCLA not win the Big Ten tournament – contrary to my prediction – it barely showed up to the quarterfinals, ending up down 27 points to No. 5 seed Wisconsin before a meaningless 11-0 scoring run in garbage time closed out the contest 86-70.
But like a basketball, the Bruins always bounce back.
UCLA’s loss to New Mexico on Nov. 8 was followed by a nine-game winning streak.
A four-game skid to Big Ten opponents in the middle of the season was followed by seven straight victories against some of the conference’s best.
The Bruins aren’t as bad as they appeared Friday – their defense doesn’t regularly allow 19 3-pointers, and their two leading scorers, junior forward Tyler Bilodeau and sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr., don’t typically combine for two points.
I can only imagine the tirade Cronin let loose in the locker room after the Bruins’ beating by the Badgers. And to Cronin’s credit, his verbal onslaughts and hard-nosed coaching have often brought results.
On the bright side, UCLA gets about a week to digest its shortcomings in Indianapolis, rather than playing through Sunday and stressing over its next destination. Extra time and rest will do the Bruins favors as they play teams that may be in the midst of the most congested parts of their season.
The NCAA Tournament is the only thing that matters in Westwood. The 11 banners in Pauley Pavilion have been waiting for a 12th since 1995 – and Cronin knows it.
The last time UCLA was a one-and-done in a conference tournament was 2021. Guess where they ended their March.
Yeah – the Final Four.
Connor Dullinger
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: Round of 32 loss
Simply put, this team is full of question marks.
When the Bruins play their best, they appear to be top 15 in the country. But when they play their worst, it looks like they don’t even deserve to play in March.
I would chalk my lack of confidence up to recency bias, as their 16-point Big Ten quarterfinal loss exposed glaring holes.
But consistency has consistently been an issue for the 2024-2025 Bruins.
However, while all indicators might tell the selection committee to circle UCLA as a potential upset, something tells me the team has what it takes to win at least one game in March.
The Bruins rank seventh in the nation in turnover margin and 27th in scoring defense – two statistics paramount to success in the Big Dance. What UCLA lacks in offensive firepower and shooting efficiency, it makes up for in stifling defense and mitigating turnovers.
But again, the Bruins have a personnel issue.
They are susceptible to proficient frontcourt play and are destined to face a towering squad at some point in the tournament.
And after Friday’s conference tournament collapse, UCLA lacks the momentum a team like it needs to go the distance.
This is not the year for blue and gold confetti.
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