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NCAA Tournament: UCLA Basketball is a 3-Seed in the South Region, Starts Against Kent State

By Mike Regalado

Mar 4, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) signals in the second half against the Washington State Cougars at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) signals in the second half against the Washington State Cougars at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The UCLA Basketball team returns to the NCAA Tournament and will be a 3-seed in the South, and start the first weekend in Sacramento.

You win this round Joe Lunardi. The antagonist to the UCLA Basketball team can hold his head up high as he correctly chose the Bruins as a #3 seed.

Despite the fact that UCLA went 29-4 this season, the Bruins hurt their chances to get a higher seed with an 11-point loss to Arizona in the Pac-12 quarterfinals.

Oh well. Pick yourself up, move on.

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So the Bruins have their first challenge of the 2017 NCAA Tournament. They will face #14 Kent State (22-13, 10-8, 4th MAC East) on Friday, March 17 in Sacramento. Time to be determined.

If UCLA defeats Kent State, they will face the winner of #6 Cincinnati or #11 Kansas State/#11 Wake Forest.

On the other side of the bottom half of the South Region bracket, Kentucky gets the #2 seed and will face Northern Kentucky. If Kentucky wins, they will face the #7 Dayton-#10 Wichita State winner.

The overall #1 seed in the South is North Carolina. The interesting thing about the #1 UNC and #3 UK teams is that the Tar Heels are 27-7 and lost in the ACC semifinals. The Wildcats (29-5) lost to UCLA in Lexington, Kentucky earlier this year.

Interesting seedings, but it does not matter. The path is set and if UCLA wants to win a National Championship, they have to beat any opponent that they come across.

Win or go home.

Next: UCLA Basketball - Reasons for Optimism

The other #1 seeds are Villanova (East), Kansas (Midwest) and Gonzaga (West). Other Pac-12 teams in the Big Dance are #2 Arizona (West), #3 Oregon )Midwest) and #11 USC who will start early in a play-in game for the East Region.