Mark Twain once said history does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.
The Bruins proved themselves to be rhymesters this weekend – but whether they can disprove the first half of Twain’s assertion will be determined at April’s end.

Gianluca Ballotta gripped his ankle and writhed in pain on the heat-charged asphalt.
The wounded senior was unable to place any weight on his leg.
But Ballotta returned to the court just a few minutes later, using his racket as both a cane and a sword.

Rivalries bring intensity.
But once the matchups are in the rearview, teams look to carry that energy forward.
No. 24 UCLA men’s tennis (9-3, 3-0 Big Ten) will have the chance to do just that as it prepares to face Wisconsin (11-3, 2-2) on Friday and Nebraska (9-6, 1-3) on Sunday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.

Spencer Johnson held the ball in his hand, the power of victory resting within his fingers.
The No. 57 junior bounced the ball once. Twice.
Finally, he raised his racket to hit the potentially match-clinching serve.

This post was updated March 12 at 5:15 p.m.
Losing is never easy.
Losing to your biggest rival hurts even more.
But that was the reality the last time the Bruins faced the Trojans – suffering a narrow defeat at David X.

Even the deepest winter eventually yields to the first sign of spring.
And after a cold start to the season, the Bruins are in full bloom as the conference calendar turns.

Mirrors show us a reversed image of ourselves.
And while reflections are timeless, conditions are transient.
The Bruins faced the Hoosiers and Boilermakers in the midst of their worst start to a season in coach Billy Martin’s then-32-year tenure last season.