Plaschke: Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s ankle injury brings scary twist to UCLA’s NCAA tournament trail

Welcome, UCLA, to the Bittersweet 16.

On a day the place the Bruins’ highly effective coronary heart pounded out an NCAA match second-round victory over St. Mary’s, that coronary heart dropped.

In a recreation the place the Bruins’ sturdy spine got here collectively to fluster and flummox a disciplined Gaels crew in a 72-56 victory, that spine crumpled.

It occurred with 6:58 left in Saturday’s recreation. It occurred beneath the St. Mary’s basket. It was sight that stuffed the Moda Middle stands with clutched foreheads and lined mouths.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. went down and stayed down. The child who has been carrying this crew all season on two tortured ankles lastly collapsed.

He had been preventing for a rebound. His proper ankle misplaced the struggle. He ended up flat on the hardwood writhing in ache. He grabbed his decrease leg. Coach Mick Cronin rushed to his facet.

Jaquez finally walked off below his personal energy, however with a scary limp whereas putting solely restricted and clearly painful weight on the ankle.

After briefly disappearing into the tunnel, he returned to look at the remainder of the sport from the bench. When his teammates gathered round throughout timeouts, he stayed seated. When the sport ended and everybody lined as much as shake fingers, he limped again to the locker room.

The official phrase is that Jaquez is each day with a proper ankle sprain.

The unofficial phrase is, maintain your breath.

The Bruins are well-built and well-coached and have overcome numerous moments of adversity throughout a season that has landed in a second consecutive Candy 16.

However face it, they desperately want their chief to get well in time for Friday’s East Regional semifinal showdown in Philadelphia in opposition to North Carolina.

“What he provides to our crew … he’s among the finest gamers within the nation,” Cronin mentioned plainly.

Powering by way of the paint whereas combining a steamroll assault with a feathery contact, Jaquez scored 15 Saturday in a primary half that principally determined this recreation, and it was nothing new. He scored 80 in a three-game stretch on the finish of the season. He’s their most constant presence, their most bodily attacker, their hardest defender, Cronin personified.

“He brings defensive grit. … Offensively he’s a matchup nightmare,” mentioned Tyger Campbell, Saturday’s main scorer with 16. “He’s only a actually good all-around participant, and he brings toughness to our crew.”

UCLA can take consolation in that, this season, the Jaquez toughness has turn out to be legendary.

In November, Jaquez completed a recreation after his face absorbed a minimize that trickled blood. Quickly thereafter he was pulled out of a recreation within the first half when he fell exhausting on his head. Then there’s his ankles, each of which have been beforehand injured such that he has performed with braces on each because the center of February.

“He’s had so many sprained ankles, I don’t understand how a lot he can sprain it anymore,” Cronin mentioned.

However Jaquez has frequently climbed again up such that he’s missed just one begin. And Cronin isn’t going to cease believing now.

“We obtained till Friday to play and belief me, if he can stroll, he’ll play,” Cronin mentioned. “I do know him … most guys which have what he has would have sat the remainder of the season out. So, we’ll see.”

Cronin, who led the crew to its first consecutive Candy 16 appearances in six years, was fast to level out that the Bruins have the depth to exchange Jaquez — particularly defensive whiz Jaylen Clark and infrequently sensible freshman Peyton Watson. To make sure, the place some thought Jaquez’s harm may encourage the Gaels, the Bruins really outscored St. Mary’s 17-9 after Jaquez departed.

“Clearly, we play by way of [Jaquez] quite a bit on offense,” mentioned Cronin. “However I simply instructed Jaylen Clark and Peyton … these guys obtained expertise and these guys are nonetheless taking part in. So clearly, you need Jaime to be wholesome, but when he’s not, we obtained different guys we will play.”

Each subs performed 10 minutes Saturday and each did nicely, with Clark recording a plus-12 and Watson making his solely shot with a rebound and a steal.

“All we will do is come collectively,” Campbell mentioned.

UCLA defensive stalwart Jaylen Clark, who was a plus-12 on Saturday, guards St. Mary’s Tommy Kuhse in the course of the first half.

(Craig Mitchelldyer / Related Press)

Advertisement

As soon as once more Saturday, they confirmed a togetherness that may be essential in Jaquez’s absence. After struggling to make performs early within the recreation, their crew protection tightened up and made an unbelievable push, climbing down the Gaels’ jerseys and harassing them into bricks and iron. With UCLA trailing 20-13 halfway by way of the half, the Bruins went on a 15-2 run throughout which the Gaels missed 12 consecutive photographs whereas committing three turnovers.

The Gaels threw up blind layups in opposition to double groups, distant loopy three-pointers with fingers of their face, and buzzer-beating hurls that by no means had an opportunity.

All this time, with the St. Mary’s basket immediately in entrance of the UCLA cheering part, the Gaels offense was surrounded by fixed roars that appeared to shake them.

UCLA, in the meantime, made 11 of its final 17 photographs of the half to take a 36-29 halftime lead that was by no means threatened.

In the meantime, whereas Jaquez’s situation was the large query, this recreation may need additionally supplied a solution. Perhaps, simply perhaps, beforehand injured and out-of-sorts Johnny Juzang has rediscovered his contact. He made six of 11 photographs. He grabbed eight rebounds. He smiled.

“The togetherness has been nice,” Juzang mentioned. “You’ll be able to simply really feel it. I do know all of us can … it’s the most effective feeling, man. Particularly in March, man … we’ve a lot enjoyable.”

They’re actually carrying the correct mindset right into a troublesome regional semifinal, the place they’ll face a North Carolina crew that has trailed for less than 3:49 of 85 minutes within the first two rounds. The Tar Heels beat Marquette by 32, and led Baylor within the second half by 25, and are taking part in their greatest basketball of the season coming into a Wells Fargo Middle that shall be certainly full of their followers.

“You’ll be able to’t be taking part in higher than Carolina is taking part in,” Cronin mentioned.

As they confirmed Saturday, the Bruins seemingly have each instrument to take down the Tar Heels … besides one … for now.

The eight-clap cheer that stuffed the Moda Middle early Saturday night was overshadowed by three-word want directed on the participant who couldn’t participate within the postgame celebration, maybe their most essential participant of all, one Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Get nicely quickly.