UCLA’s game on Thursday evening will begin at approximately 6:25 p.m. PT (9:25 p.m. ET) at Rupp Arena. The Bruins’ contest will be nationally televised on TNT, and the radio broadcast will be available in the Los Angeles area on AM 570 (KLAC). LOS ANGELES – The UCLA men’s basketball team has earned a No. […]
UCLA’s game on Thursday evening will begin at approximately 6:25 p.m. PT (9:25 p.m. ET) at Rupp Arena. The Bruins’ contest will be nationally televised on TNT, and the radio broadcast will be available in the Los Angeles area on AM 570 (KLAC).
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA men’s basketball team has earned a No. 7 seed in the 68-team NCAA Tournament field, as announced on Sunday when the complete 68-team bracket was revealed on CBS.
The Bruins (22-10) will take on No. 10-seed Utah State (26-7) in a first-round contest on Thursday, March 20, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. The winner of Thursday’s first-round matchup will advance to the second round and could face either No. 2-seed Tennessee or No. 15-seed Wofford.UCLA’s Selection Sunday Press Conference Video
The Bruins will return to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last five seasons. Most recently, UCLA advanced to the Sweet 16 in the 2023 NCAA Tournament with wins over UNC Asheville and Northwestern before dropping a 79-76 decision to No. 3-seed Gonzaga in a Sweet 16 matchup in Las Vegas. The Bruins advanced from the First Four to the Final Four in 2021 and returned to the Sweet 16 in 2022.
UCLA has won three of its last five games and has registered 11 wins in the last 15 games, after having lost four games in a row in early January. The Bruins have totaled at least 20 wins for the fourth time in five seasons. Most recently, UCLA lost to Wisconsin, 86-70, in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis on Friday, March 14.
This marks the fourth season in which head coach Mick Cronin has led the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament. Cronin, in his sixth year as The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach, has now guided his teams to 14 total NCAA Tournaments, including his three seasons at Murray State and his previous 13 years at Cincinnati.
The Bruins were one of eight teams from the Big Ten Conference to secure an NCAA Tournament berth. Through the 2024-25 season, UCLA compiled a record of against 6-6 teams that have advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
IN THIS HISTORY BOOKS: UCLA’s program is making its 53rd appearance at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. UCLA has won 11 NCAA championships (most recently in 1995) and has advanced to 19 Final Four (most recently in 2021). The Bruins have totaled 23 appearances at the Elite Eight (Regional Finals) and 38 trips to the Sweet 16 (Regional Semifinals). UCLA has compiled an all-time tournament record of 115-45. The Bruins have posted a 55-28 record and have registered 17 trips to the Sweet 16 since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985. The NCAA Tournament expanded from 64 teams to 68 teams with the “First Four” addition in 2011.
THE OPENING WEEKEND: Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to include at least 64 teams in 1985, the Bruins have played 83 total tournament games and 50 during the opening week/weekend (first and second round contests). UCLA has gone 40-10 in those 50 games, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 17 tournaments. Since 1985, The Bruins have posted a record of 22-6 in the first round (this does not include any First Four contests). The Bruins lost in the First Four in 2018 and won a First Four matchup in 2021.
