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UCLA guard Jules Bernard (1) takes a shot over BYU guard Alex Barcello (13) during the second half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU center Richard Harward (42) grabs a rebound as teammate Caleb Lohner (33) and UCLA guard Jules Bernard (1) close in during the second half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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UCLA forward Kenneth Nwuba (14) reacts to a foul called during the second half of a first-round game against UCLA in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU guard Brandon Averette (4) reaches for a rebound with UCLA forward Kenneth Nwuba (14) and BYU forward Caleb Lohner, second from left, and BYU forward Matt Haarms (3) during the second half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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UCLA head coach Mick Cronin directs his team during the second half of a first-round game against BYU in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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UCLA guard Johnny Juzang (3) takes a three point shot as BYU forward Gideon George (5) defends during the second half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (4) drives past BYU forward Caleb Lohner (33) during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU guard Brandon Averette (4) battles for the ball with UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez Jr., right, as UCLA guard Jules Bernard (1) closes in during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU guard Brandon Averette (4) battles for the ball with UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez Jr., right, as UCLA guard Jules Bernard (1) closes in during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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UCLA guard David Singleton (34) drives past BYU guard Alex Barcello (13) during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (4) goes up for a shot as BYU guard Connor Harding (44) and teammate Richard Harward (42) defend during the second half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU guard Brandon Averette (4) battles for the ball with UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez Jr., right, as UCLA guard Jules Bernard (1) closes in during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU guard Alex Barcello (13) gets screened out by UCLA forward Kenneth Nwuba (14) as he tries to defend UCLA guard Tyger Campbell (10) during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU guard Spencer Johnson (20) looks to shoot the ball in front of UCLA forward Mac Etienne, right, during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU forward Matt Haarms (3) shoots over UCLA forward Mac Etienne (12) during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU head coach Mark Pope directs his team during the first half of a first-round game against UCLA in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU guard Spencer Johnson (20) drives past UCLA guard Johnny Juzang (3) during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU forward Caleb Lohner (33) looks for help as UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (4) closes in during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU forward Matt Haarms, left, battles for a rebound with UCLA forward Cody Riley (2) and teammate Jaime Jaquez Jr. (4) during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU forward Caleb Lohner (33) battles for a rebound with UCLA guard Jaime Jaquez Jr., left, during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU guard Alex Barcello (13) drives past UCLA forward Mac Etienne (12) during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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A reflection of BYU and UCLA teams warm up as fans watch in a reflection prior to a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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BYU forward Matt Haarms (3) goes up for the tipoff with UCLA forward Cody Riley (2) during the first half of a first-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
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UCLA players prepare for a first-round game against BYU in the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Tell me you weren’t expecting this, UCLA fan.
Or maybe I should put it another way. Up until the Bruins arrived at the arena in Boulder, Colo., on Feb. 27, their supporters had reason to expect a nice tournament run. UCLA was 17-4, had a shot at the regular-season Pac-12 title and No. 1 seed in the conference tournament …
… and then it all went blooey. Four straight losses, blown leads, an early exit in the Pac-12 tournament at the hands of Oregon State, and all of a sudden the pearl clutchers had a lot of pearls to clutch.
So what to make of this weekend? The team that couldn’t hold a lead in the final three weeks of the regular year, the one that was painful to watch at times in the first half of Thursday night’s 11th seed play-in against Michigan State, blew past the Spartans in the second half. Then they blew past BYU in the first half Saturday, thanks to Johnny Juzang, and they’ll be playing in the round of 32 Monday night.
This is why we watch. Consider that the Oregon State team that knocked off the Bruins in Las Vegas won the conference tournament and, likewise is in the NCAA round of 32. As is Colorado. As is USC. And as is Oregon, the last of which is a reminder that nothing is guaranteed in Pandemic Basketball after Virginia Commonwealth, Oregon’s opponent, was ruled out Saturday because of what were described as multiple positive COVID-19 tests.
Maybe that 5-0 start by the Pac-12 this weekend, not including Oregon’s walkover, should have sent a message to the rest of the country.
“You’re finding out that the Pac-12 not being ranked all year was an absolute joke,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “And some people ought to be ashamed of themselves.
“Now, you know, maybe people can’t stay up late and I don’t blame them because I can’t either. Where I live, the sun shines all day and it comes up early. So I get up early. So maybe people can’t stay up for our games. But I’ve been doing this a long time. And, you know, back in 2011, I coached in a league (the Big East) where 11 teams made the NCAA tournament. The national champion (Connecticut) finished in a tie for ninth, 10th and 11th.
“So I know good teams. Oregon State, Oregon, Colorado, USC, you know, those teams winning is just not a surprise at all. It’s just not a surprise.”
The four teams the Bruins lost to at the end of the season: Colorado on the road by 9, Oregon on the road by 8 (in a game that had been postponed twice and was plopped into the final week schedule almost at the last minute), USC by a point and Oregon State by 4 in overtime in ‘Vegas.
Each of those could be around a while. And in UCLA’s case, the chances of the magic continuing seemed to have brightened while Cronin was still answering questions in the postgame Zoom session. No. 14 seed Abilene Christian, a program that has only been playing on the Division I level since the 2013-14 season, knocked off Texas 53-52, which means a team that didn’t become eligible for NCAA championship competition until 2018 will be playing a team that, as Cronin noted, practices in a gym with 11 championship banners on the wall.
Then again … Cronin said that assistant Darren Sorvino, who was assigned to keep an eye on Abilene Christian, predicted the Wildcats would take out Texas.
“And I turned to T.J. Wolf on my staff, and he said, ‘Coach, he’s right. They force 20 turnovers a game. They’re really, really good.’ That was just in passing,” Cronin said.
“So obviously they have a great coach (Joe Golding). Somebody forces 20 turnovers a game, that’s unbelievable. Somebody just told me Texas had 23 turnovers. And they got senior — they got (Andrew) Jones, (Courtney) Ramey. They’ve got serious guards now, Matt Coleman. And they turn the ball over that many times? That means Abilene Christian is really, really good. That’s all I can say.”
Challenges are good, and that stat will be a way to make sure Cronin has the attention of his players on the practice floor Sunday.
As it was, the Bruins – with their lineup of three sophomores and two juniors and no seniors on the active roster – could have had a chip on their collective shoulder after being relegated to the First Four, but Juzang said it was just a matter of having another chance to “go out and compete.” Now it’s a matter of continuing to earn themselves additional chances.
What came out of Saturday night’s game? UCLA’s defensive play made sure the vaunted BYU explosiveness (78.7 points a game and a 10.3 point average margin of victory) didn’t materialize, aside from some long-range shooting by Alex Barcello (20 points on 9 of 17 shooting, though he was 2 of 6 on 3-pointers) and a first step by 5-11 Brandon Averette that continually allowed him to blow by Bruins defenders en route to a 15-point night.
Juzang scored 19 of his 27 points before halftime to help the Bruins to a comfort level they maintained for most of the game, even after BYU trimmed what had been a 13-point lead to four early in the second half.
And with 50 points in his first two tournament games Juzang joined rare company. The only two UCLA players with more points in their first two tournament games – and remember, this is a lot of players over a lot of games – remain Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who was known as Lew Alcindor when he scored 67 points in his first two games in 1967), and Reggie Miller (56 points in 1987). Juzang passed Willie Naulls (49 in 1956) on the all-time list.
“Those are some legendary names,” Juzang said. “So it’s an honor to be mentioned with them, no doubt.”
But then he added this: “We’re not done. We’re not finished. I’m happy I’ve been able to contribute in that category. But, you know, we’re not satisfied … We don’t plan on going home.”
This could be far more invigorating a March than the Bruin faithful had reason to hope for two weeks ago during that four-game losing streak.
“Playing good teams can either kill you, or it makes you better,” Cronin said.
In this case, let’s say it was Plan B.
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