Exactly a year ago, the final buzzer of the Pac-12 tournament quarterfinal not only rang a tune of defeat but also the melody of a bittersweet ending to the Bruins’ 2024 campaign.

While a 16-17 season – the worst record since 2015-2016 and since Mick Cronin’s hiring – injected a sour taste in the Bruins’ mouths, it also seemed to illustrate rock bottom.

And when you reach rock bottom, there’s only one way to go.

Up.

This “chip-on-the-shoulder” mentality appears to have followed the Bruins’ into their first-ever Big Ten tournament, in which seven of the eight top seeds are ranked in the season’s final AP top-25 poll.

The one unranked squad? The Bruins.

Perhaps leveraging this lack of recognition as fuel, No. 4 seed UCLA men’s basketball (22-9, 13-7 Big Ten) will face No. 5 seed Wisconsin (24-8, 13-7) on Friday in the Big Ten quarterfinal at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The affair marks the Bruins’ first match in the conference tournament after winning 11 out of their last 14 contests.

Despite the Bruins sitting out of the nation’s top 25, the squad earned a double bye after conquering the Trojans on the final day of the regular season. Wisconsin defeated No. 13 seed Northwestern 70-63 Thursday afternoon to advance to the quarterfinals.

“It shouldn’t matter if somebody else thinks you’re a success. I try to be an example for them. You cannot care about what other people say,” Cronin said. “You have to define success for yourself and for us, we just try to focus on getting better.”

Guard play could be paramount to UCLA’s performance Friday – particularly the backcourt’s ability to score, protect the ball and evenly distribute the Bruins’ big men in the paint.

In the Bruins’ narrow 85-83 victory over the Badgers on Jan. 21, Aday Mara had a breakout performance, playing a then-season-high 21 minutes and scoring a personal-best 22 points. The sophomore center went 7-for-7 from the field alongside notching five rebounds and two blocks.

The other half of the Bruin frontcourt – junior forward and leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau – garnered 16 points on 60% and 50% shooting clips from the field and beyond the arc, respectively.

“Tyler and Aday, they need you to get them the ball a lot,” Cronin said. “Skyy (junior guard Skyy Clark) had the numbers the other day, but Dylan (junior guard Dylan Andrews) did a better job, probably his best job of the year, reading the switching and giving our big guy time to get open versus the switch.”

While Andrews and sophomore guard Sebastian Mack led the backcourt last season, Clark has taken a firm grasp spearheading the guards in 2025. He has contributed the fourth most points on the team across the season and ranks third in assists with 87 alongside just 35 turnovers – all while starting in every game this season.

And simultaneously, Clark is second among the guards in rebounding and second on the roster in steals. His proficiency in various statistical departments, however, doesn’t seem to outweigh the intangible aspects of his character.

“He’s a great teammate. He’ll do anything for the team, whatever is needed at the moment,” said senior guard Lazar Stefanovic. “It’s great to have him here, I personally have a great relationship with him. I like playing with him, being on the court with him. He’s a smart guy and he sees a lot. It’s great being out there with him.”

John Tonje and John Blackwell are some of UCLA’s biggest threats heading into Friday’s matchup. The former – an All-Big Ten First Team selection this season – averages a team-high 18.9 points per game this season and dropped 24 on a near-perfect shooting efficiency against the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion. The latter is an All-Big Ten honorable mention and recorded 23 points, four rebounds and four assists in the regular season matchup.

While UCLA has already guaranteed itself a bid to the Big Dance, the squad will still be fighting for its first-ever Big Ten tournament title.

“It goes back to focusing on one game at a time,” Bilodeau said. “We want to win as many games as we can. We want to win this tournament. Focusing on that first before the NCAA Tournament is key.”