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NCAA Tournament: UCLA Basketball’s Path Through the Big Dance

By Mike Regalado

Mar 22, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; General view of the NCAA logo at midcourt of the KeyArena during the game between the Northern Iowa Panthers and Louisville Cardinals in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; General view of the NCAA logo at midcourt of the KeyArena during the game between the Northern Iowa Panthers and Louisville Cardinals in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 15, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford (right) talks with guard Bryce Alford (20) during an NCAA basketball game against Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cagjuns at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA defeated Louisiana-Lafayette 89-80. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 15, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford (right) talks with guard Bryce Alford (20) during an NCAA basketball game against Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cagjuns at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA defeated Louisiana-Lafayette 89-80. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

The UCLA Basketball team has a very interesting seeding, one that could match them up with Kentucky and North Carolina en route to the National Championship.

I am just going to say it… the UCLA Basketball team received a tough draw and getting to the Final Four is going to take some extreme effort.

Will UCLA stumble, or can they go they distance? That depends on who they will come across along the way.

Let us tand a look at each weekends potnetial brackets:

Round of 64 and 32

In the first round, UCLA will face #14 Kent State while #6 Cincinnati takes on the play-in winner of the #11 Kansas State/#11 Wake Forest game.

Kent State went 22-13 this year which was topped off by winning the 2017 MAC Tournament Championship over #1 Akron. Though they have won 9 out of their last 10 games, they have not seen a team like UCLA. They beat Texas, who is not in the tourney, and lost to Oregon State, which Bruins fans know what kind of talent was on that team.

It is a crap shoot with who will come out of the other side of this mini-bracket, though Cincinnati looks to be the best team to come out of this game. They were 2nd in the American Conference with a 29-5, 16-2 record, but lost badly to #1 SMU.

Unless they are caught completely off-guard, UCLA should win the weekend and head to the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years.

Feb 23, 2017; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) celebrates with UCLA Bruins forward Ike Anigbogu (13) during the first half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Wells-Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2017; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) celebrates with UCLA Bruins forward Ike Anigbogu (13) during the first half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Wells-Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

Sweet 16 and Elite Eight

In the other mini-bracket, which would face UCLA’s, #2 Kentucky takes on #15 Northern Kentucky while #7 Dayton takes on #10 Wichita State in Indianapolis. Though Wichita State would be a good pick to “shock” Kentucky, the Wildcats should be the victor, setting up another showdown with UCLA.

It is going to be very hard to beat Kentucky for the second time this year and the third consecutive time in the last two seasons. But it will not be as hard as then having to take on the likely survivor from the top half of the South Region, North Carolina.

It is questionable how a 7-loss team can be a #1 seed, but it does not change the fact that they are dangerous. I can see UCLA advancing, but I can also see Alford’s team failing to make it past the Sweet Sixteen. Hopefully they Ball out and get to the Final Four.