UCLA
Tennessee
Men's Basketball Looks Ahead to Saturday's Game Versus Tennessee
March 21, 2025 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES โ The No. 7-seed UCLA men's basketball team will take on No. 2-seed Tennessee on Saturday evening at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. The Bruins (23-10) advanced into the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 72-47 win over No. 10-seed Utah State on Thursday night. UCLA has won 12 of its last 16 games and will be facing Tennessee for the second time in program history.
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Team Records: UCLA (23-10), Tennessee (28-7)
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THURSDAY'S GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Rupp Arena
Venue Capacity: 20,500
Projected Game Time: 6:40 p.m. PT (9:40 p.m. ET)
Television: TBS / truTV
TV Talent: Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst), Allie LaForce (sideline)
Radio (UCLA Audio Network): AM 570
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SIRIUS XM: Channel 208 or 201, and available on the SXM App
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GAMEDAY PREP AT RUPP ARENA
Coach Cronin, Dylan Andrews, Tyler Bilodeau and Lazar Stefanovic met with media members in a mid-day press conference at Rupp Arena on Friday, one day prior to UCLA's game against Tennessee. Following the afternoon media session, the Bruins had practice for just under 90 minutes at Kentucky's Rupp Arena.
Friday's Press Conferences: Coach Cronin | D. Andrews, T. Bilodeau and L. Stefanovic
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BRUINS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
โ The Bruins have advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 53rd time in school history.
โ UCLA has secured a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
โ UCLA seeks its fourth trip to the Sweet 16 in the last five seasons (previously advanced in 2021, 2022 and 2023).
โ UCLA has flown to the state of Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the first two rounds in 2015.
โ The Bruins defeated Tennessee, 103-89, in Atlanta in the only prior meeting between these programs in January 1977.
โ Most recently, UCLA went to the Final Four in 2021 and to consecutive Sweet 16 appearances in 2022 and 2023.
โ Prior to this week, UCLA last played at Rupp Arena on Dec. 3, 2016, winning at No. 1-ranked Kentucky, 97-92.
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CATCHING UP ON THE BRUINS
โ UCLA has won 12 of its last 16 games, having compiled a 23-10 overall record this season (13-7 in the Big Ten).
โ Most recently, the Bruins defeated No. 10-seed Utah State, 72-47, on Thursday night at Rupp Arena.
โ Skyy Clark and Eric Dailey Jr. each scored a team-leading 14 points in the first-round win over Utah State.
โ UCLA has gone 8-3 this season in games decided by five points or fewer.
โ UCLA leads all Big Ten teams in scoring defense, having limited the opposition to 65.2 points per game.
โ The Bruins rank second in the Big Ten in steals per game (8.0) and rank No. 56, nationally, in that category.
โ This marks the 106th basketball season at UCLA and the sixth year with head coach Mick Cronin at the helm.
โ UCLA head coach Mick Cronin secured career coaching win No. 500 in a win over Ohio State on Sunday, Feb. 23.
โ The Bruins have gone 62-3 since the start of the 2019-20 season when holding the opposition to fewer than 60 points.
โ This season, UCLA has tallied a 15-1 record when limiting the opposition to 65 or fewer points.
โ Junior Tyler Bilodeau has averaged 13.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in 32 games, shooting 49.5 percent from the field.
โ Through Thursday, March 20, UCLA ranked No. 19 in the nation in turnovers forced per game (15.0).
โ Through Thursday, March 20, the Bruins were No. 9, nationally, in turnover margin (+4.5).
โ UCLA has limited the opposition to 65 points or fewer in 16 of 33 total games this season.
โ Kobe Johnson (53 steals, 1.6 spg) ranked sixth in the Big Ten in steals per game through Thursday, March 20.
โ As head coach, Mick Cronin has led UCLA to an 138-63 record, now in his sixth season with the Bruins.
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NOTES ON THE SEASON
โ The Bruins rank No. 2 in the Big Ten in assist-turnover ratio (1.57) and No. 3 in assists per game (16.5), through games played on Thursday, March 20. UCLA recorded a season-high 28 assists in a 90-63 win over USC on Saturday, March 8.
โ UCLA has shot 46.3 percent (overall) and 37.9 percent from 3-point range in the last 10 games (6-4, over that stretch). Through the past 10 contests, Tyler Bilodeau has averaged a team-best 12.5 points per game, shooting 47.6 percent.
โ Now sporting a 23-10 record, the Bruins have reached the 20-win plateau in a single season for the 47th time in 59 years (span includes 1966-67 through 2024-25). Coach Cronin has guided UCLA to 20 or more wins in four of the last five years.
โ UCLA has committed fewer turnovers than the opposition in 27 of 33 games this season. The Bruins had a season-low three turnovers in back-to-back contests early in February (versus Michigan State and Penn State, both games at home).
โ UCLA's 27-point win over USC on Saturday, March 8, marked the Bruins' largest victory margin in any conference game since a 35-point victory at home against California on Feb. 18, 2023 (UCLA won against California, 78-43).
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THE LAST TIME OUT
โ UCLA limited Utah State to 30 percent shooting (18-for-60) and 12.9 percent from 3-point range (4-of-31) on Thursday evening at Rupp Arena. The Bruins outscored Utah State, 39-27, in the first half and by a 33-20 margin in the second half.
โ The Bruins had 22 assists in 26 made shots on Thursday night, marking the team's highest assist percentage (85%) in an NCAA Tournament contest since assists became official in 1984.
โ Dylan Andrews dished a season-high eight assists and one just one turnover in the Bruins' 72-47 win against Utah State. Andrews was 2-for-4 from 3-point range, knocking down a pair of 3-point shots early in the first two minutes of the game.
โ UCLA shot a perfect 10-for-10 at the free throw stripe on Thursday, marking the first time the Bruins shot 100 percent at the charity stripe since March 11, 2022, in a semifinal win over USC at the Pac-12 Tournament (UCLA was 11-for-11).
โ Skyy Clark made 4-of-7 attempts from 3-point distance against Utah State, finishing the game with 14 points (tied for the team lead with Eric Dailey Jr.) in a team-high 33-plus minutes. That was Clarks' first-ever NCAA Tournament game.
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UCLA'S NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Bruins' program is making its 53rd appearance at the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. UCLA has won 11 NCAA championships (most recently in 1995) and has advanced to 19 Final Fours (most recently in 2021). The Bruins have totaled 23 appearances at the Elite Eight (Regional Finals) and 38 trips to the Sweet 16 (Regional Semifinals). UCLA has compiled an all-time tournament record of 116-45. The Bruins have posted a 56-28 record and have secured 17 trips to the tournament's Sweet 16 since the field expanded to include 64 teams in 1985.
OF NOTE: UCLA's six contests in the 1980 NCAA Tournament and one game in the 1999 NCAA Tournament were later vacated by NCAA action. Those contests and NCAA Tournament appearances are not recognized by the NCAA. The numbers listed above do include those contests and tournament appearances.
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THE OPENING WEEKEND
Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to include at least 64 teams in 1985, the Bruins have played 51 games during the opening week/weekend (first and second round contests). UCLA has gone 41-10 in those 51 contests, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 17 tournaments. The Bruins have posted a record of 23-6 in the first round (this does not include any First Four contests). The Bruins lost in the First Four in 2018 and won a First Four matchup in 2021. Most recently, UCLA advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 in 2023 with wins over (15-seed) UNC Asheville and (7-seed) Northwestern.
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COACH CRONIN, MARCH MADNESS
In six seasons as UCLA's head coach, Mick Cronin has guided the Bruins to four NCAA Tournaments. At the conclusion of his first season (2019-20), the NCAA Tournament was canceled as UCLA had compiled a 19-12 record heading into the Pac-12 Tournament as the No. 2-seeded team. Coach Cronin's teams have gone 10-3 in three prior NCAA Tournament appearances at UCLA, with one Final Four appearance (2021) and three Sweet 16 berths (2021, 2022 and 2023). The Bruins missed the NCAA Tournament last season with a 16-17 overall record and 10-10 mark in the Pac-12. UCLA's NCAA Tournament run in 2021 took place in Indianapolis, with the Bruins advancing from the First Four to the Final Four.
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THE 2024-25 BRUINS
UCLA's 17-man roster includes four players who have competed at the NCAA Tournament in previous seasons, with only Dylan Andrews having played in an NCAA Tournament contest for UCLA. Andrews competed as a freshman for the Bruins in 2022-23, when UCLA went 18-2 in Pac-12 play to win the regular-season title before advancing to the Sweet 16. The other three players all competed at the NCAA Tournament for their prior programs โ Dominick Harris (Loyola Marymount) in 2021 and 2023, Kobe Johnson (USC) in 2022 and 2023, and William Kyle III (South Dakota State) 2024.
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AGAINST THE TOURNAMENT FIELD
The Bruins have compiled a 6-7 record against 11 teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Looking at the breakdown of teams within the Big Ten Conference, UCLA went 2-5 โ that includes Illinois (0-1), Maryland (0-1), Michigan (0-1), Michigan State (1-0), Purdue (0-1) and Wisconsin (1-1). Non-conference opponents headed to the Big Dance, who UCLA faced, include Arizona (1-0), Gonzaga (1-0), New Mexico (0-1), North Carolina (0-1) and Oregon (2-0). Of the teams that UCLA faced, Michigan State (27-6) received the highest seed in this year's NCAA Tournament (No. 2, South Regional).
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WOULDN'T THAT BE SWEET?
Entering this season, UCLA is one of just five teams to have reached at least three of the last four Sweet 16s and will try to add to that figure on Saturday evening with a win against Tennessee. Gonzaga and Houston have done it each of the last four seasons, while Alabama, Creighton, and UCLA have accomplished this feat in three of the past four years. Creighton secured an 89-75 win over Louisville at Kentucky's Rupp Arena on Thursday afternoon. UCLA last won a Sweet 16 contest in 2021, outlasting No. 2-seed Alabama at Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse in overtime, 88-78 (March 28, 2021).
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BIG TEN CONFERENCE PROGRAMS
UCLA was among eight programs from the 18-team Big Ten Conference to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Joining the No. 7-seed Bruins in that group includes No. 2-seed Michigan State (27-6), No. 3-seed Wisconsin (27-9), No. 4-seed Purdue (23-11), No. 4-seed Maryland (25-8), No. 5-seed Michigan (26-9), No. 5-seed Oregon (24-9) and No. 6-seed Illinois (21-12). The Bruins are joined in the 68-team bracket's South Region by No. 4-seed Purdue and No. 6-seed Illinois. Should UCLA advance, the earliest in which the Bruins could face a Big Ten team would be in the Sweet 16 (Illinois).
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NOTES ON UCLA VERSUS TENNESSEE
โ The Bruins have won the only previous meeting against Tennessee, recording an 103-89 victory under head coach Gene Bartow on Jan. 30, 1977, in Atlanta. Roy Hamilton scored a team-high 30 points and had 11 assists in the Bruins' win.
โ Tennessee's Bernard King registered 31 points and 15 rebounds in the Bruins' 14-point victory in 1977.
โ UCLA has gone 1-3 against teams coached by Rick Barnes (all four games against Texas, from 2007-13).
โ The Bruins last faced an SEC opponent on Dec. 17, 2022, recording a 63-53 win over Kentucky at Madison Square Garden. Prior that game in 2022, UCLA defeated No. 2-seed Alabama in overtime (88-78) at the 2021ย NCAA Tournament.
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MILESTONE UNLOCKED
Bruins' head coach Mick Cronin secured career coaching win No. 500 on Sunday, Feb. 23, as UCLA defeated Ohio State, 69-61. Cronin has posted a 503-234 record as a head coach (22nd season). He secured his 400th win in UCLA's home victory over Arizona State on Feb. 20, 2021. Cronin is one of 18 active head coaches to have secured at least 500 career NCAA Division I victories. He is currently the youngest college basketball head coach (53) with at least 500 career wins. He spent his first three seasons as a head coach at Murray State before taking over as Cincinnati's head coach for the 2006-07 season. After a 13-year run as Cincinnati's head coach (through 2018-19), he became UCLA's head coach in April of 2019.
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BRUINS IN KENTUCKY
UCLA are playing their first NCAA Tournament contests in the city of Lexington this week, but the Bruins' program has played eight prior NCAA Tournament games in Louisville, Ky., approximately 75 miles due west of Lexington. The Bruins have gone 7-2 in postseason competition in Kentucky, including the win on Thursday against Utah State. Prior to UCLA's recent win, the Bruins had secured victories in their prior six postseason contests in Kentucky (two in 1967, two in 1969 and two in 2015). UCLA had last played at Kentucky's Rupp Arena during the 2016-17 season. Ranked No. 11 in the nation, the Bruins defeated No. 1-ranked Kentucky, 97-92, before a crowd of 23,976 on Dec. 3, 2016.
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