Super Scintillating Selections Top 30 Countdown: #4 UCLA Bruins

Four. More. Days. Day 27, here we go. As a reminder, from here on out I will not be giving a prediction for the featured team. For the predictions on the remaining teams you will have to listen to my podcast I will be releasing Tuesday 3/14. The podcast will include previews of highlighted matchups, predictions for the last seven teams, possible cinderellas, future content ideas I've been brewing in my head, and more.

UCLA ran away with the Pac-12 this year, four games ahead of second place Arizona and USC. 27-4 overall, and 18-2 in conference, the Bruins only lost to teams that will be in the NCAA Tournament this year. 7-4 in quad-1, 8-0 in quad-2, 5-0 in quad-3 and 7-0 in quad-4. A team with no bad losses, seven impressive wins, is solid from both sides of the floor, and has an experienced/proven head coach. Why isn't this team higher on my list?

UCLA was at 2 before news came out about Jaylen Clark’s season ending Achilles injury. UCLA will be missing the Pac-12 defensive player of the year, one of their top rebounders and their second leading scorer for the rest of their season. Without Jaylen Clark, the Bruins will probably turn to David Singleton to start, who started a handful of games earlier this year when Amari Bailey went down with an injury. Singleton is definitely a great option, but he is not Jaylen Clark. I still believe UCLA can make some serious noise, but this injury makes them a lot more susceptible to heartbreak in March.

Mick Cronin, Pac-12 Coach of the Year, will still have this team where they need to be before the tournament begins, you don't get this far with one player. Next man up! Let's get into it.

Why can UCLA win their *checks notes* 12th championship?

Senior Citizens. With David Singleton entering the starting lineup, the Bruins will be starting three seniors. The two others are Pac-12 player of the year, Jamie Jaquez and one of the best point guards in the nation, Tyger Campbell. The three of them have been at UCLA for all four of their years. Why is that important? Will they know Coach Cronin’s system like the back of their hands, and that system has proven to be successful. 2021 Final Four and 2021 Sweet 16. Even without Jaylen Clark (a junior) they will still be one of the most experienced teams in the tournament. There is tremendous value in that, especially if you have been there and done that like UCLA has.

Clamps. #5 in points per game, #4 in scoring margin, #14 in opponent FG made per game, and #15 in opponent free throws made a game. I'll translate those three stats for you. They lock you up without fouling, THE single most frustrating thing to face if you are an opponent. One on one ball will not defeat this team, the opponent will have to put on a masterclass of team offense to have a chance against the Bruins. I'm holding onto hope they don't regress too much without Jaylen Clark. We will see how they do in the Pac-12 tournament.

What's holding them back?

Jaylen Clark. If you are a UCLA fan and you are reading this I am truly sorry I keep bringing him up. Just a brutal blow to this squad. It is true you can't get to where UCLA is now with one player, but can it be true that in order to get where they WANT to go, they need THIS one player (read that again, that gave me chills when writing….bars)? The Bruins would have been my clear favorite if he was healthy. I have nothing more to say. I will be watching this team closely today when they play Colorado and the rest of the Pac-12 tournament to see how they hold up without Jaylen Clark.

Next Game: Vs Colorado 3/9 Pac-12 Tourney