Tag: UCLA Bruins basketball

Social media goes wild after Sebastian Mack ejection, UCLA’s last-second loss to Utah

Social media exploded after Sebastian Mack was ejected and Branden Carlson dealt a huge blow to UCLA.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team saw its winning streak end on Sunday at Pauley Pavilion. Utah was too much, and a Branden Carlson buzzer-beater was the difference-maker in another hard-fought game.

The Bruins had to play nearly the entire game without Sebastian Mack due to him being ejected for a dirty play in the first half. And, despite that, UCLA still was in it, with Dylan Andrews hitting the go-ahead jumper with just seconds remaining.

But, Carlson was the hero, sealing the deal with a huge tip-in for Utah. There is a ton ti unpack from this game, and here are some of the reactions on social media.

UCLA coach Mick Cronin goes viral after another last-second loss

Mick Cronin is back in the limelight after UCLA’s crushing loss to Utah.

UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin has had a whirlwind of a season. After a brutal start, hot seat quests arose. Then, UCLA won a string of games to be an outside contender for a bubble spot.

On Sunday, the Bruins lost to Utah on a buzzer-beater by Branden Carlson, ending the losing streak.

Suddenly, Cronin became a topic of conversation for yet another last-second loss. This is just another reminder of how quickly things can change while coaching a program with expectations such as UCLA.

The reactions on social media were a wide array involving Mick Cronin after another questionable loss.

Sebastian Mack ejected as UCLA loses to Utah on buzzer-beater

Sebastian Mack ejected as Branden Carlson buzzer-beater ends UCLA’s winning streak.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team saw its winning streak come to an end on Sunday afternoon. The Bruins lost to the Utah Utes, 70-69, on a buzzer-beater by Branden Carlson.

Utah had four players in double figures, with Carlson and Deivon Smith both scoring 17. UCLA went into halftime up just two points and it was a back-and-forth effort all game long at Pauley Pavilion on Sunday in a huge Pac-12 Conference battle.

UCLA had another balanced attack with Lazar Stefanovic with 19 and Dylan Andrews with 15. However, Sebastian Mack played just eight minutes due to being ejected early in the first half.

Dylan Andrews’ jumper gave UCLA a one-point lead with less than 10 seconds left, but Carlson played herp for Utah in a thrilling finish.

UCLA moves to 14-12 overall and Utah goes to 16-10. UCLA now is 9-5 and tied for Oregon for third place as Utah moves to just 6-8 in Pac-12 play.

UCLA’s Adem Bona sixth all-time in career blocks

Adem Bona is moving up the UCLA blocks list.

The Bruins are firing on all cylinders as of late.

Winners of five-straight games, UCLA is starting to play their best basketball at the best possible time in Westwood. And in that time, one Bruin climbed the all-time leaderboard at UCLA.

Adem Bona, UCLA’s sophomore forward, just recorded his 103rd block in a Bruins uniform. Averaging 12.2 points, six rebounds, and an assist, Bona has been one of the top performers for the Bruins on offense as of late. But where Bona has made his mark has been on defense.

Recording nine blocks in his last five games, Bona moved to sixth all-time in blocks in UCLA history.

Only 14 blocks shy of Lorenzo Mata’s fifth-place record of 117, at the pace Bona is rejecting shots, he could pass Mata before the end of the Bruins’ season.

 

The all-time blocks leader for the Bruins currently is NBA champion and former UCLA second-round pick Jelani McCoy with 188. With Bona trailing his record by 85 blocks, depending on how long Bona stays in Westwood, he could be chasing the school record by his senior season.

UCLA draws closer to #1 Arizona in Pac-12 standings

UCLA is making a run at a top spot in the Pac-12, believe it or not.

The UCLA Bruins are on a roll.

Following a sluggish start, the Bruins rebounded and are now winners of six straight and winners in eight of their last nine games. At 14-11 on the year and 9-5 in Pac-12 play, the Bruins continued their success against Colorado.

In their close 64-60 victory at home, the Bruins broke their tie for third in the Pac-12 standings. Now a half-game ahead of Oregon, the Bruins have sole possession of the #3 position in the Pac-12.

Trailing only Arizona and Washington State, two teams the Bruins face in upcoming games, leading the Pac-12 is not out of the question for UCLA as they approach the conference tournament.

Though still a longshot given how well Arizona and Washington State have played, the Bruins have a chance to either play their way to a Pac-12 tournament title or enter the conversation to qualify for March Madness on their own.

The Bruins’ date with #5 Arizona on March 7th is the perfect opportunity to turn some heads and have a signature win on the resume before the big dance.

UCLA guard Brandon Williams looking for revenge against Utah

Brandon Williams is looking for revenge as the Bruins face Utah this weekend.

Ahead of UCLA’s Pac-12 date with Utah this weekend, one player has their eyes on revenge.

UCLA lost to Utah in an embarrassing fashion in January on the road. In the near-historic beatdown, the Bruins lost 90-44. In the only game where UCLA failed to crack the 50-point threshold, things looked bleak for the Bruins. At 6-10, their high hope for a competitive season in the Pac-12 looked far-fetched.

But after a recent turnaround, winning five straight and seven of their last eight, the Bruins find themselves comfortably in the mix for good seeding in the Pac-12 tournament and potentially an NCAA tournament bid.

One Bruin, Brandon Williams, is looking forward to their rematch this Sunday.

Williams’ sentiment is likely shared by the entire locker room. Williams, who scored only two points coming off the bench on 1-2 shooting with a rebound, was one of many who struggled against the Utes in January.

And with both teams jockeying for positioning in the standings, there is a lot on the line for both teams. Should the Bruins win, they would draw closer to the overall #2 seed in the conference, potentially leapfrogging Oregon and Washington State. With a loss, the Bruins could fall back to the #5 seed in the conference.

The Pac-12 championship is less than a month away, and with the Bruins playing only conference members to close out the year, every game counts. With revenge on the mind, the Bruins look to keep rolling at home against Utah.

Robert Horry’s son commits to UCLA basketball

UCLA basketball landed a commitment from Robert Horry’s son on Thursday night.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team won its sixth straight game on Thursday night. The Bruins defeated Colorado at home and won their eighth game in the last nine to surge to the top of the Pac-12 Conference and even garner some bubble talks.

On the same night, the Bruins got a huge commitment from Christian Horry, the son of former Los Angeles Lakers star Robert Horry, per Christian’s X account.

Horry is a small forward from Harvard-Westlake and is in the Class of 2024, so this could be a massive commitment for Mick Cronin’s team going forward.

Horry made sure to mention associate head coach Darren Savino in his post and is looking forward to his future with the UCLA program.

Horry was also recently named a California McDonald’s All-American Game 2024 nominee along with two other Harvard-Westlake teammates: Robert Hinton and Trent Perry.

So, UCLA wins its sixth in a row and lands Christian Horry on the same night.

Sebastian Mack leads UCLA to win over Colorado

The Bruins won their sixth straight game by defeating Colorado.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team just continues to find ways to win games. On Thursday night, UCLA escaped with a narrow home victory over Colorado, 64-60.

UCLA held a 9-point lead at halftime but Colorado got very close to winning the game. However, it was Sebastian Mack who led the way with 19 points and Adem Bona who had 14 points with seven rebounds. Dylan Andrews added 13 as UCLA used another team effort to get the win at home.

After the game, Mick Cronin made sure to credit Mack for the huge performance: “He went 7-for-11, 5-for-7. When you get 19 on 11 shots, that’s pretty strong. And he’s still playing hurt. He and Lazar are playing hurt the rest of the year. When you’ve got the toe injury that Sebastian has – he has good days and bad. As soon as it feels good, someone steps on it, you jump stop or something happens. Lazar didn’t practice hardly at all this week because of his foot. He hasn’t practiced much, but he really sat out a lot this week, and it really hurt his rhythm. But Sebastian was tremendous on the offensive end tonight.”

Cody Williams was the leading scorer for Colorado, notching 18 points on 8-9 from the field.

Oddly enough, Colorado shot better from the field and the three-point line than UCLA did. Colorado also had more rebounds and more assists.

But, the Buffs had 14 turnovers compared to the Bruins’ five.

UCLA has now won six games in a row and eight of the last nine in an unreal streak, and one that could prove worthy of a potential NCAA berth.

UCLA next faces Utah at home on Sunday before having nearly a week off.

Joe Lunardi details UCLA’s potential path to becoming a bubble team

Joe Lunardi details UCLA’s potential path to becoming a bubble tam for the NCAA Tournament.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team has completely turned things around after a poor start to the season. All of a sudden, they have won five straight and seven of the last eight to move to third place in the Pac-12 standings. 

Now, the Bruins could be on the verge of becoming a bubble team, believe it or not. Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times spoke with ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi about the Bruins’ path. And, to put it simply, it won’t be easy, but there is a way it could be done and these next few weeks will be very important for Mick Cronin’s team.

Just a few weeks ago, Mick Cronin was on the hot seat and UCLA looked to be a bottom-dweller in the Pac-12. Now, UCLA is 13-11 overall but 8-5 in Pac-12 play, tied with Oregon for third and one game behind Washington State.

The Bruins face Colorado in LA on Thursday and then Utah on Sunday at home.

UCLA basketball tied for third in Pac-12 standings

The Bruins are moving up in the Pac-12 Conference standings after a sluggish start.

The Pac-12 championship is officially a month away, and the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team finds themselves in the mix.

After a sluggish start to their season, the Bruins have rebounded and are tied for the second-longest winning streak in the conference at five wins in a row. Sitting at the third spot, tied with Oregon, and behind only Washington State and the 5th-ranked Arizona Wildcats, the Bruins have an opportunity to hold steady in the standings and potentially leapfrog Washington State for the No. 2 seed.

At 8-5 in the conference, the record to beat is 10-3, held by Arizona. With seven games remaining, all in the Pac-12, the Bruins, in a way, control their own destiny in the conference tournament and beyond.

And there are winnable games on the horizon for the Bruins. With games against USC, Utah, Arizona State, and Colorado, the Bruins face three teams with a sub-.500 records in the conference.

Finally playing as many assumed they would at the start of the season, the Bruins are gelling at the right time. By avoiding their early-season struggles to take care of business in winnable games, the Bruins have a shot to make some noise leading up to the Pac-12 tournament.

The most daunting games remaining are against Washington State and Arizona. However, the Bruins lost by only six points to the Wildcats before rattling off five straight wins.

With a strong finish to their regular season, the Bruins could extend their season deep into the Pac-12 tournament and potentially punch a ticket to the Big Dance in March.