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
Fifth-seeded UCLA (15-16) will square off with No. 12 seed Oregon State (13-18) in a first-round game of the Pac-12 Tournament on Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas. The Bruins swept the Beavers this season by a combined 15 points.
The winner will play No. 4 seed Oregon (20-11) 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, 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, 2024
When UCLA wins, it’s been because of the team’s staunch defense. The Bruins have given up only 65.6 points per game this season, the best scoring defense in the Pac-12.
“It’s pretty obviously with us, we only win when our defense is pretty effective … it’s not a secret, we have to be the best defensive team in the tournament,” Cronin said. “We’re going to have to shoot the ball well … and your best players, whoever it is, are going to have to perform.”
On Tuesday, Bona was named to the All-Pac 12 team and earned the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award, the second consecutive year he has earned Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors.
“It means a lot to me,” Bona said. “One, keeping it in the family. Last year, my teammate Jaylen Clark won the award and I’m honored to be also deemed Defensive Player of the Year. I want to give credit to my teammates. It wasn’t just me out there. It was all five of us playing the game and we all did the job together. It means a lot to me. It has been one of my goals to be named Defensive Player of the Year.”
The 6-foot-10 Bona, who has averaged 12.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots per game in 31 games this season, was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year last season and received an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection.
Here’s what you need to know about the team’s first-round game in the final Pac-12 Tournament:
UCLA VS. OREGON STATE
When: Wednesday, 2:30 p.m. (approximate start time)
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
TV/Radio: Pac-12 Network/570 AM
Records: UCLA is 15-16 overall, 10-10 in Pac-12 play; Oregon State is 13-18, 5-15
UCLA’s latest result: Bona played 33 minutes and had a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds in UCLA’s 59-47 comeback win over Arizona State on March 9 at Pauley Pavilion.
“I think that was vital for me to be able to stay on the floor for a long period of time,” Bona said.
“I plan to stay on the floor for a long period of time for every single game we play for the rest of the year,” Bona continued.
Stefanovic averaged 18 points per game last week. The 6-7 guard made 10 of 15 shots from 3-point range.
Oregon State’s latest result: The Beavers are coming off a 73-57 home to Colorado on March 9. Oregon State’s Dexter Akanno (15), Tyler Bilodeau (14), Michael Rataj (12), and Jordan Pope (10) scored 51 of the team’s 57 points.
Matchup to watch: UCLA sophomore point guard Dylan Andrews against Pope, who is the Beavers’ leading scorer at 17.6 ppg. Pope is also shooting 37.1% from 3-point range, so Andrews’ ability to keep Pope in check defensively and match or exceed his output offensively will be central to UCLA’s game plan.
UCLA trends to watch: Freshman guard Sebastian Mack was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team after he averaged 12.4 ppg this season. The 6-3 guard leads all Pac-12 freshmen in free throws made (116) and free throws attempted (161).
This is the first season since 2019 in which the Bruins did not earn one of the conference tournament’s top four seeds and the accompanying first-round bye.
UCLA has not won the Pac-12 Tournament since 2014.
UCLA basketball head coach Mick Cronin on preparing for the Pac-12 Tournament and the end of an era in the Pac-12 Conference.
Cronin told me this year’s team only wins when their defense is effective. pic.twitter.com/uyxZYdHk6y
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 12, 2024
Inside UCLA Basketball’s final practice before traveling to Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Tournament. pic.twitter.com/BUHM7YbAyF
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) March 12, 2024