UCLA's defense faced a tough challenge in their 78-73 road loss to Minnesota, allowing the Gophers to shoot an impressive 58.0 percent from the field. Coach Mick Cronin expressed regret over not utilizing more zone defense, and the defeat dropped the Bruins to a 19-10 record for the season.
Heading into Saturday, all 66 bracket experts on bracketmatrix.com had UCLA in the NCAA Tournament field, with seed predictions ranging from No. 8 to No. 11. While the loss to Minnesota might not knock the Bruins out of the projected tournament, it certainly means they have work to do to improve their seeding.
ESPN's Joe Lunardi updated his bracket projection Saturday evening, moving UCLA from a No. 9 seed to a No. 10 seed. With the final week of the regular season approaching, this adjustment seems fair.
UCLA will host No. 12 Nebraska on Tuesday and then face a struggling USC team on the road Saturday.
Both games present Quad 1 opportunities.
LOOKING AHEAD
UCLA sits in seventh place in the Big Ten with an 11-7 conference record. The top eight seeds in the Big Ten Tournament receive two byes, so staying above ninth place is crucial.
Although dropping to ninth is unlikely, with Iowa at 10-8 and Ohio State at 9-8 trailing UCLA, it’s still possible if the Bruins lose their remaining games. Fans should watch the Purdue vs.
Ohio State matchup on Sunday. A Purdue win means UCLA would only need one more victory to secure a top-eight seed and a double bye.
Even if Ohio State wins, UCLA still controls its destiny. If both Ohio State and Iowa win out (a slim chance), UCLA can still finish seventh by winning their last two games. The tie-breaker scenarios are complex, but we'll tackle those as they arise.
KEY METRICS
UCLA's loss to Minnesota dropped them to No. 41 in KenPom rankings. The NET rankings, updated after Sunday's games, will likely see UCLA fall from No.
- Sitting around the No. 40 mark in both metrics is still a decent position, so despite Saturday’s setback, the Bruins remain on track for the NCAA Tournament, barring any major slip-ups.
Defense and rebounding remain significant concerns, but perhaps the most troubling stat is UCLA's 3-9 record away from Pauley Pavilion. They are 0-3 in neutral site games and 3-6 on the road. With the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments not held at Pauley Pavilion, where the Bruins boast a 16-1 record, they need to find a way to excel away from home, and the clock is ticking.