UCLA enters Pac-12 tournament hoping to recapture magical March ride

The racehorse fetched $225,000 at public sale final spring, its excessive worth a perform of lineage. Half-brother Nashville was a stakes winner in a handful of early races, and the six-figure sibling displayed promise in his first exercise at Santa Anita when he clocked the quickest time amongst seven entrants.

Practically a yr after the horse’s identify was impressed by one other charmed run, it’s as soon as extra time to unleash that Bruin Magic.

“The query is,” proprietor Mick Cronin mentioned, “can we seize the magic once more?”

It’s one thing everyone seems to be asking about Cronin’s different large ardour. The UCLA Bruins captivated greater than their fan base with an epic surge by March a yr in the past, their endurance unfurling for a legion of admirers that swelled each step of the way in which, from the First 4 to the Ultimate 4.

Cronin might sense his crew was within the midst of one thing particular. All he needed to do was have a look at his gamers and really feel their ardour.

“We had the magic of a crew that was so dedicated to staying alive and profitable,” Cronin mentioned. “You watched our bench, you could possibly simply see it. It was magnetic, it drew folks to being followers of ours that weren’t even followers of ours. I feel we gotta seize that once more someway.”

Take into account this week’s Pac-12 match a warmup for the large race. A yr in the past, UCLA confirmed it was doable to prevail within the video games that matter after going splat within the convention match.

It’s a phenomenon that Cronin is aware of properly.

In his final convention match at Cincinnati, Cronin savored a title. As he performed a tv interview in a hallway afterward, gamers walked previous carrying American Athletic Convention champion T-shirts, one playfully dancing in view of the digicam whereas cradling the match trophy in his arms.

The Bearcats went on to lose within the first spherical of the NCAA match.

In his first convention match at UCLA, Cronin lamented a fast exit. His crew misplaced within the quarterfinal spherical, surprised gamers trudging off the court docket earlier than boarding a quiet bus again to the airport.

The Bruins went on to the Ultimate 4.

All of which is to say that convention tournaments ought to include a caveat: connect any significance at your personal threat.

Cronin is an knowledgeable on this trivial pursuit, having gained extra convention match titles (two) than NCAA match video games (one) over his final two seasons at Cincinnati.

Then once more, there will be an upside to slicing down nets earlier than Choice Sunday. Along with his second-seeded Bruins (23-6) on the eve of a Pac-12 match quarterfinal in opposition to Washington State or California on Thursday night at T-Cellular Enviornment, Cronin acknowledged the doable advantages of an prolonged keep on the Strip.

“It’s a chance to attempt to enhance whereas profitable video games,” Cronin mentioned. “Clearly, you’d wish to win [the conference tournament], however I feel Illinois lower the nets down final yr within the Large Ten and I do know they might have traded that to have the ability to get out of the primary weekend” within the match that issues.

The highest-seeded Combating Illini misplaced within the second spherical of the NCAA match, a untimely demise acquainted to different main convention champions. Georgia Tech gained the Atlantic Coast Convention match earlier than dropping its subsequent recreation. The identical destiny awaited Texas after prevailing within the Large 12 match. Alabama gained the Southeastern Convention match earlier than getting dispatched by UCLA within the Candy 16.

Oregon State was an outlier, profitable the Pac-12 match and sustaining its run for 2 extra weeks to succeed in the Elite Eight.

Profitable all of it is usually preceded by a stumble within the convention match.

Of the final 15 nationwide champions, solely seven gained their convention tournaments. Defending nationwide champion Baylor, probably the most dominant groups in recent times, didn’t win the Large 12 match, dropping in a semifinal. In 2019, Virginia, the conqueror of all six groups it confronted within the NCAA match, gained only one ACC match recreation earlier than falling to Florida State.

Whereas UCLA, USC and Arizona enter this week assured of creating the NCAA match, each different Pac-12 crew most likely should win the convention match to listen to its identify referred to as on Choice Sunday.

That’s to not say there wouldn’t be upside to a deep run for the Bruins. A few wins in Las Vegas possible would guarantee the crew of securing its most popular vacation spot for the opening rounds of the NCAA match.

“Clearly,” Cronin mentioned, “it might be nice to remain in San Diego.”

UCLA’s Johnny Juzang drives previous USC’s Reese Dixon-Waters on March 5 at Pauley Pavilion.

(Mark J. Terrill / Related Press)

Most bracket prognosticators have slotted the Bruins into San Diego or Portland, Ore., which means they gained’t have to fret a few lengthy airplane experience. The most important uncertainty surrounds UCLA’s seeding. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi advised The Instances that the Bruins are at present a excessive No. 4 seed, with an opportunity to rise as excessive as No. 2 ought to they win the Pac-12 match and different high groups falter.

Cronin’s to-do checklist included greater than wins. He needed his crew to recharge earlier this week after a stretch of six video games in 12 days wherein it went 5-1. He needed main scorer Johnny Juzang to search out his rhythm after a clunky four-for-13 taking pictures efficiency in opposition to USC in his return from a sprained proper ankle. He needed to scrutinize recreation footage to search out his shooters higher photographs and put his protection in the very best place to disrupt, all in hopes of recapturing that magic.

“If we need to do what we got down to do from the start of the season and form of preserve enjoying within the postseason,” senior guard Jules Bernard mentioned, “then I do know there’s going to be a whole lot of basketball to play, so I’m simply undoubtedly excited and able to get began.”

For Cronin, whose 3-year-old racehorse can also be set to run this spring, the identical chorus works for each endeavors.

Go, child, go, everybody is raring to see what Bruin Magic can do.