The UCLA Bruins came into this weekend with a chance, albeit an outside one, at securing the No. 1 seed for next week's Pac-10 tournament. However, last night's 70-63 loss in Seattle to the Washington Huskies put an end to those plans. However, the Bruins are still likely bound for March Madness, as they are in good shape to return to the NCAA tournament.
The latest bracketologists' projections seem to agree that UCLA will be a No. 9 seed in the Southwest Region. Chris Dobbertean of SB Nation in his latest tournament projections has the Bruins facing UNLV in the first round, with a possible matchup with No. 1 seed Kansas in the second round. Meanwhile, Joe Lunardi of ESPN also has the Bruins as the Southwest No. 9 seed, playing Utah St in the first round, and possibly Kansas in the next round.
UCLA is one of three Pac-10 teams projected to make the NCAA tournament. Conference leading Arizona projects as a No. 6 seed in the West (Dobbertean) or a No. 5 seed in the East (Lunardi), while the Huskies project to a No. 8 seed in the East (Dobbertean) or a No. 8 seed in the West (Lunardi). Washington State is seen as one of the last four out by both Dobbertean and Lunardi.
Earlier in the week, the Bruins were slated by Dobbertean as a No. 7 seed, but that was before their loss to Washington. The Bruins play their final regular season game Saturday against the Washington State Cougars, who will be without Klay Thompson, who was arrested for marijuana possession. The Bruins can clinch the No. 2 seed in the Pac-10 tournament with either a win against the Cougars or a loss by Washington to USC.
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