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UCLA Bruins Must Win Now To Get Into The Big Dance

By Corbin Warnock

Feb 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford on the sidelines against the Utah Utes during the first half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford on the sidelines against the Utah Utes during the first half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Steve Alford, head coach of the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team, is under some pressure right now.

The UCLA Bruins must win now if the team is going to make the NCAA tournament and make a deep run of any kind.

It may be too little too late for them, though — they are 15-14 with 2 games left.

The Bruins lost four close games this season; one in the preseason and three in the regular season — in those contests, they lost by 6 points or less.

If they did had won those four games they would be 19-10 and be tied in sixth place in the PAC-12 with USC.

Say they did win those games, then they would not have to worry about being on the bubble and barely making the tournament.

They would be in the tournament, in the middle of the pack, anywhere from and 9 to 13 seed.

Where they actually are at right now, they will be a bottom-feeder team, possibly seeded lower than mid-majors, because of how horribly they played this year in a major conference (anywhere from a 14-16 seed or even not making the NCAA tournament at all).

Whether they win out or not, they could possibly still make the NCAA tournament.

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    • What they would have to do is do good in the PAC-12 tournament.

    When I say good I mean they must win the PAC-12 tournament to ensure them a spot in the NCAA tournament.

    If they lose their last two games, then the conference tournament will not matter.

    One win that is good for them to get in the tournament is that they were the first team to beat the University of Kentucky.

    This helped their RPI decently and they defeated Kentucky when the Wildcats were good.

    UCLA’s RPI is under 100, which is not great but it is not horrible.

    With that win they showed that they have the talent to defeat prominent programs no matter who they play.

    The only concern right now is when will they make that push and can they win with the game on the line in the last seconds?

    Can they repeat or go further than last year?

    The Bruins lost to the top teams in the PAC-12, and that doesn’t help.

    With the team they have, them making the NCAA tournament they can make some noise in the tournament because of experience on the court from last year and their coach.

    Their first step the team needs to do is play with more determination and Steve Alford needs to give his team a team talk on that it is now or never for you gentlemen to win.

    Then they need to win their last games, if nothing else.

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    After they do that they need to win their conference tournament in order for them to have a definite spot in the NCAA tournament.

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