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UCLA Basketball in the NCAA Tournament: A Mini-Look at the Mini-Bracket

By Mike Regalado

Feb 1, 2017; Pullman, WA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford looks on against the Washington State Cougars during the second half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. The Bruins won 95-79. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2017; Pullman, WA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Steve Alford looks on against the Washington State Cougars during the second half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. The Bruins won 95-79. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /
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Who will be the UCLA Basketball team’s opponents in this weekend’s mini-bracket? We take a quick look at the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the Bruins.

So who is Kent State and the other teams that the UCLA Basketball team will possibly meet this weekend in the Sacramento bracket?

UCLA has the potential to get to the Sweet 16, but that will not happen unless they defeat their first and second opponents of the Big Dance.

The Bruins have been a good offensive team and have proven themslves in the Pac-12 Conference, but this is a whole different ballgame and UCLA has to know what they’re going up against.

Here is a very quick look at the three teams in UCLA’s section of the South region:

#13 Kent State Golden Flashes (22-13, 10-8)

RPI: 143

vs Top 25: 0-0

Points per Game: 76.9

Points Allowed: 72.3

The Golden Flashes are on a roll right now. There was one 9 of their last 10 games which was topped off by a victories over, in succession, the #3, #2 and the #1, in the Metro Atlantic Conference Tournament to win the championship.

They are a good team that plays well together but they only have three real scorers. They only score 76.9 points per game which, if they do not have Ben Howland-esque defense, will be hard to match UCLA’s 90.4 points per game.

Jimmy Hall (18.9), Jaylin Walker (15.6) and Deon Edwin (13.0) can score in bunches, but if they are slowed, even a little, by the Bruins, it would be hard to get the win against UCLA.