Where UCLA Sits in Newest Bracketology Update

If the season were to end now, the Bruins would be looking to face off against the 7th-seeded Kentucky. This matchup overall could easily tip in UCLA's favor with some pushback. While Kentucky is a historic blue-blood, they have not performed at the level of seasons past as they sit at 15-7.

Again, if the season ended today, there wouldn't be much light for UCLA if they were to win the Kentucky matchup. They would likley have to face No. 2 seed Iowa State. Unlike Kentucky, Iowa State has found real regular-season success, sitting at 20-2 as the No. 7 Team in the nation.

With the schedule ahead for the Bruins, two realistic paths have emerged. If UCLA can pick up a few quadrant 1 wins, its stock will skyrocket. If they fail, they could easily be out of the tournament. With how the Bruins have played, nothing is certain.

Dangerous Path Ahead

It will get scary for UCLA coming up soon. After Washington, the Bruins will suit up against No. 2 Michigan, No. 10 Michigan State, and then No. 5 Illinois. While the Bruins were able to pull off a top-five win against Purdue, that win is starting to mean less and less as time progresses.

If UCLA is able to beat Washington and maybe pull out a win against Michigan State or Illinois, as mentioned earlier, its stock will skyrocket. We could see UCLA at its peak be around the 5-6 seed in the tournament. Again, this is much easier said than done.

Minnesota and USC are also very probable wins for UCLA. If the Bruins are able to sweep their unranked opponents they will be able to afford a loss or two against the four ranked opponents down the slate.

The bottom line is that UCLA is exactly where they should be. However, the Bruins need to win the games they can and make the harder ones competitive. With the opponents UCLA has left they could also miss the tournament outright.

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