March Madness: UCLA’s 5 Most Disappointing Tournament Losses

Number 4: Kentucky, 2017

Frankly, this game stands as an embarrassment that actually has nothing to do with Lavar Ball. With the miasma from stud freshman’s Lonzo Ball’s father clouding the Bruins’ tournament run, rumors that head coach Steve Alford would jettison the program for Indiana provided another high-level distraction for the otherwise tight-knit team.

The Bruins, with a three-seed on the strength of their legendary offense, went into the game with only four losses, all of which had been avenged. Ball, the point guard, evoked comparisons to Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd and led the nation in assists as a freshman. He also provided a triple-double threat each time on the floor.

Along with freshman All-American TJ Leaf, shot blocker extraordinaire Ike Anigobogu, sharpshooter – and all-time UCLA three-point record holder – Bryce Alford, super sub Aaron Holiday, a senior sniper Isaac Hamilton, expectations in Westwood were the highest they’d been in decades.

Then came tipoff. The Bruins kept up with the Wildcats for all of about five minutes, then proceeded to show why Steve Alford has been the lodestone of coaching rumors since his hire. Allowing Kentucky freshman De’Aaron Fox to explode for 39 points, the vaunted UCLA offense simply did not have the firepower to compete.

In retrospect, this could have been foreseen by Bruin fans, but the pundits picking the Bruins to go all the way had the Vegas line as a pick ’em before the sneakers began to squeak. And once again, UCLA fans hung their head on a tournament evening, unable to escape the Sweet 16.