This post was updated March 13 at 12:15 a.m.

After a regular season that appeared to veer in every direction, No. 4 seed UCLA men’s basketball (22-9, 13-7 Big Ten) closed things out on a high to earn a double bye, providing direct entry to the quarterfinal. Coach Mick Cronin’s squad will face No. 5 seed Wisconsin, No. 12 seed Minnesota or No. 13 seed Northwestern in its first matchup. Daily Bruin Sports projects the Bruins’ fate in its inaugural Big Ten tournament.

Ira Gorawara
Sports editor
Prediction: Semifinals loss

Cronin’s opening statement Saturday night was the most pleasant I’d heard him in the Dick Enberg Media Room.

Though his expressions remained stoic, the sixth-year coach’s first line did the talking.

“I thought we played with tremendous, tremendous conviction to our game plan,” Cronin said.

And it was rightfully so – No. 4 seed UCLA men’s basketball had just annihilated its fiercest rival, USC. The coach’s arsenal led from the jump, when star junior forward Tyler Bilodeau began proceedings with a nifty reverse layup on the baseline.

The well-oiled machine shredded its foes so relentlessly that what could’ve been an early mass exodus of spectators never materialized. Fans who often call it quits early in one-sided games stayed put for the full 40 minutes of action.

That too was rightfully so. The Bruins maintained rhythm, the Trojans were reduced to audience members of their own rivalry showdown.

But why does this matter?

I couldn’t think of a more picture-perfect adieu for a team that is dangerously susceptible to an overly agitated coach and feeds off a vehemently present crowd.

Every time the Bruins have turned the corner – whether for the better or worse – it’s been an extended downfall or prolonged glory. And the way they performed Saturday makes me think the latter trajectory is in the Bruins’ cards.

With renewed confidence and heads held high from Pauley Pavilion’s roar Saturday night, the Bruins will steer their way into the semifinals.

But just as the lights shine brightest, UCLA will turn the corner again – this time unfavorably – and No. 1 seed Michigan State will snuff out the flame.

Matthew Niiya
Daily Bruin reporter
Prediction: Quarterfinals loss

It was not long ago that hope for a double bye seemed lost.

But with a victory over crosstown rival USC – and some surprise help from a scuffling Penn State squad – UCLA vaulted up into the No. 4 slot in the Big Ten.

While coveted for its extra day of rest and one less game on the road to a title, the fourth seed has proven to be a double-edged sword. Since 2021, each fourth-ranked Big Ten team has fallen victim to a lower seed in its opening contest.

From a physical standpoint, an extended break is always welcome, but the negative mental impacts are difficult to quantify. Any preexisting momentum can evaporate, and when facing a team that already has a win under its belt, it’s no wonder the fourth seed is ripe for an upset.

And this year is no different. Seven of the top eight Big Ten teams in the tournament bracket are ranked in the AP poll – only UCLA sits outside the top 25.

Assuming all goes chalk, a rematch with No. 5 seed Wisconsin would be in order. The two teams clashed in Pauley Pavilion back on Jan. 21, when UCLA escaped with a narrow two-point victory.

However, there will be no home-court advantage this time around.

Badger fans will almost surely outnumber Bruin supporters in Indiana, and the extra support will be just enough to power Wisconsin into the semifinals.

Kai Dizon
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: Big Ten tournament champions

UCLA blew a 17-point lead to potential quarterfinal opponent and No. 12 seed Minnesota.

It also lost to No. 7 seed Illinois because of troubles from the charity stripe and was squashed by No. 11 seed Rutgers, No. 6 seed Purdue, No. 3 seed Michigan and No. 2 seed Maryland – all teams UCLA could face in the title game.

But at the same time, UCLA defeated No. 13 seed Northwestern and No. 5 seed Wisconsin – both viable quarterfinals opponents – and took down potential semifinal opponents No. 9 seed Indiana, No. 8 seed Oregon twice and No. 1 Michigan State, even if many of those wins came by the skin of its teeth.

So if you believe in regular season results, the Bruins are destined for a championship appearance at the very least. And if you don’t, keep in mind you have to throw out both the Bruins’ wins and losses.

And for those in the latter crowd, let’s also throw out UCLA’s absence from the AP poll. Because if polls meant squat, we wouldn’t need to play the games in the first place.

Defense wins championships, and the fact is the Bruins have the best scoring defense in the Big Ten – largely thanks to Cronin.

You’re telling me Cronin – the coach who took the Bruins from the first four to the Final Four in 2021 – can’t will his team to win three more games? I didn’t watch that run when it happened – but Cronin’s head was bald in 2021, and it’s still bald in 2025. That’s got to count for something.

The coach has said all year that he’s building a team for March – and since the month began, the Bruins have not lost and, more importantly, will not lose.

Connor Dullinger
Assistant Sports editor
Prediction: Finals loss

Legendary coach Vince Lombardi – a two-time Super Bowl champion at the helm of the Green Bay Packers – once said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.”

The Bruins have certainly shown they could be knocked down – going on a four-game losing streak in January and falling in two out of their last five games, including a last-minute defeat to Minnesota after missing 10 free throws in the second half.

But they have also proved they can shake off defeat.

No. 4 seed UCLA has four victories against teams ranked inside the KenPom top 20 and has defeated three teams currently ranked in the AP top 25.

And it seems the stars aligned at the most opportune time for the Bruins. They earned a double bye after not just beating but thrashing their crosstown enemies in the Trojans. And the tournament bracket stipulates that UCLA will most likely face No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the quarterfinals and No. 1 seed Michigan State in the semifinals – both teams it beat in the regular season.

The Bruins made guard-heavy teams like the Badgers, with guards John Blackwell and John Tonje, and the Spartans – with a backcourt trio of Jase Richardson, Tre Holloman and Jaden Akins – crumble in their presence.

Conversely, the Bruins struggled against proficient frontcourts, making teams like No. 2 seed Maryland – with future potential NBA lottery pick forward Derik Queen – and No. 3 seed Michigan, with center Vladislav Goldin, a danger to the Bruins’ championship hopes.

While the Bruins have shown they can make a finals run, they don’t have the personnel to bring it home.

Cecilia Schmitz
Daily Bruin senior staff
Prediction: Semifinals loss

No. 4 seed UCLA is fresh off the heels of a blowout victory against crosstown rival and No. 14 seed USC amid a roaring home crowd.

It was the kind of win a team needs as a send-off before entering the lion’s den.

And that momentum will carry the Bruins forward in their first game of the tournament. Slated to face lower-ranked teams in the quarterfinals, UCLA will then progress to the semifinal where it’ll most likely battle No. 1 seed Michigan State – but upsets could position No. 8 seed Oregon or No. 9 seed Indiana in front of the Bruins.

But that is where the magic of Saturday night’s victory will wear off.

Thus far, UCLA has had a subpar showing in away games, posting a 5-5 record in opposing Big Ten environments, where fans are known to intimidate. It is often said Big Ten fans travel well – Michigan State is 259 miles from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, a drive that takes fewer than four hours. UCLA, in comparison, lies 2,086 miles from the tournament’s arena.

It’s safe to assume which fans will make their presence known in Indiana.

Fatigued by the cross-country travel while facing a team with a hostile fanbase, the Bruins will crumble under the pressure of Spartan basketball.