Jack Perez
Sports editor
Prediction: Sweet 16
I may be an optimist. I may be foolish. I may see a different Bruin squad than everyone else.

This post was updated Feb. 18 at 9:14 p.m.
After a first half of playing catch-up to the Wildcats, it was the Bruins who sat in the driver’s seat during the second – stepping on the gas and never looking back. 
Trailing by as many as eight points in the opening period, UCLA men’s basketball (15-5, 11-3 Pac-12) defeated Arizona (14-8, 8-8) 74-60 to notch its first win of a weekend homestand with less than a month to play in the conference schedule.

Though the Bruins welcomed the new year with a win, it hardly came with a bang. 
After clinching the victory against the visiting Utes in the closing minutes of regulation Thursday, UCLA men’s basketball (7-2, 3-0 Pac-12) went 2-0 over the New Year’s weekend, defeating Colorado (7-3, 1-2) 65-62 for its third conference win of the season.

This post was updated Dec. 12 at 9:49 p.m.
The Bruins were 43 seconds away from returning the Victory Bell to Westwood. 
But for another year, the Victory Bell will remain cardinal. 
After a 56-yard return on the Bruin kickoff in the final minute of the game, Trojan quarterback Kedon Slovis slung a pass toward his receiver Tyler Vaughns.

The last time the Bruins faced the Trojans at the Rose Bowl in 2018, Dorian Thompson-Robinson looked on – for a majority of the time – from the sidelines. 
But in the 90th meeting between the historical crosstown rivals, the junior quarterback has led UCLA football (3-2) to a 21-10 lead over No.

This post was last updated Dec. 6 at 11:58 p.m.
Just over a week ago against Pepperdine, it took UCLA three overtime periods to build a winning lead over the Waves. 
The Bruins’ matchup with the visiting Seattle Redhawks on Thursday was not as dramatic, yet it still took UCLA until the end of the first half to build a lead. 
Neither of those two scenarios were true Sunday night.

The Bruins have lost most of their familiar faces in the starting defense, leaving new additions in Westwood working to fill the shoes of departed veterans.

When the coronavirus put an effective pause on the sporting world back in March, coach Chip Kelly said in April he didn’t see why it would be safe for players to return to the field if fans weren’t also allowed in the stadium. 
But with UCLA football set to hold its first training camp Friday and the Bruins’ season-opener against Colorado set on Nov.

Sometimes, less is more.
With only a fastball and slider as his go-to pitches, UCLA baseball relief pitcher Holden Powell will be headed to the nation’s capital with the chance to eventually serve as a late-inning bullpen arm in Nationals Park.

This post was updated June 12 at 2:40 p.m.
Although the 2019-2020 year finished with the cancellations of the remaining seasons for many UCLA teams, there were still inspiring performances by athletes competing in the blue and gold.