NCAA Basketball: Ranking the Sweet 16 teams in 2022 NCAA Tournament

7. UCLA (#4 seed)

We all remember that UCLA was the darling last season, marching all the way from the First Four to the Final Four as an 11-seed. As the basketball program with the most NCAA Tournament titles, clearly, this wasn’t a Cinderella story, but it was an amazing first step for Mick Cronin, who took over the Bruins program just two years earlier. This year, much of that talent is back and this has looked like a team that could end up right back in the Final Four.

UCLA survived 13-seed Akron 57-53, clawing back from a late 7-point deficit and lasting despite one of the team’s worst efforts of the last month. It was point guard Tyger Campbell’s 16 points that led the Bruins during a rough offensive affair. The Bruins were much more impressive in their next outing, scoring a 72-56 win over 5-seed Saint Mary’s and getting back to the Sweet Sixteen. Jamie Jaquez, Johnny Juzang, and Jules Bernard each had at least 14 points and this balanced UCLA offense sprung ahead of the Gaels.

With the experience on this team and the talent at all five starting positions, UCLA can absolutely return to the Final Four, especially with the havoc that’s already happened in their region. They’ll get a crack at North Carolina, who already toppled 1-seed Baylor, while the 2-seed is also out of the East. The Bruins are one of just three remaining teams that rank in the top 15 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and if they can get any of those guards on their game then they can be hard to contain.