25. UCLA (23-11)
This honestly has been another up and down season for a UCLA team that entered the year with certain expectations. The Bruins didn’t do themselves a ton of favors early in the year and then dropped numerous stinkers, losing at Michigan and Michigan State by a combined in 53 points in mid-February. However, the Bruins have beaten Purdue and finished the regular season by taking four of their last five, including nice home wins over Illinois and Nebraska.
They continued that success in the Big Ten Tournament, getting a 72-59 win over Rutgers that included a 21-point game from Tyler Bilodeau. Their action in the quarterfinal was far sweeter, as the Bruins avenged that tough loss to Michigan State, knocking out the Spartans 88-84. Donovan Dent starred with 23 points and 12 assists while Trent Perry added 22 points. Unfortunately, their awesome run came to an end in the semifinal, losing 73-66 to a very talented Purdue squad. Perry had 15 points and 9 assists but the Bruins needed just a few more plays late.
Defensively there are still major question marks here with this team but it’s hard not to like what we’ve recently seen from UCLA. These Bruins have shown that they can win big games and hang with the top teams even if it’s not always pretty. Moving forward they really need the defense to play a bigger role if they’re going to have a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, and Mick Cronin is certainly desperate for more fireworks for this program.