LOS ANGELES — Win or go home.
If the UCLA men’s basketball team wants to make the NCAA Tournament, it must win four games in four days in Las Vegas to receive the conference’s automatic berth.
“In the Pac-12 Tournament, anything is possible,” UCLA sophomore forward Adem Bona said.
UCLA basketball sophomore power forward Adem Bona says “anything is possible” in the Pac-12 tournament.
Bona learned he was named to the All-Pac-12 team and earned the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award on Tuesday morning. pic.twitter.com/UboBv50HOS
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 12, 2024
No. 5 seed UCLA will play No. 12 seed Oregon State in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament on Wednesday in Las Vegas. The Bruins swept the Beavers this season by a combined 15 points.
The winner will play No. 4 seed Oregon on Thursday.
“Winning one doesn’t help us,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “You have to win them all, but you have to win one at a time.”
Despite a sub-.500 record at 15-16 overall, the Bruins control their own destiny.
“Going into something knowing you can do something, you can make something shake gives you confidence,” Bona continued. “Going into the tournament, everyone is coming with a blank canvas. It’s a new beginning.”
“At the end of the day, it’s a basketball game,” UCLA junior guard Lazar Stefanovic said. “We know how we need to play and what we need to do. We know what got us wins in the past.
“Obviously, there’s more at stake. You have to be focused for all 40 minutes. I would say that’s a big thing. You can’t play 32 or 33, 37 minutes because if you have those empty possessions, it can cost you. I would say that’s the biggest thing, the consistency throughout the 40 minutes.”
UCLA junior guard Lazar Stefanovic says the Bruins need to be “focused for all 40 minutes” if they want to win games in the Pac-12 Tournament. pic.twitter.com/aVgaugs0bI
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 12,…
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