The 2011 NCAA Tournament has arrived for the UCLA Bruins, and their March Madness journey begins with a clash against the Michigan St. Spartans. The two schools play at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida tonight, with a 6:20 p.m. PST tip-off on TBS. But what is the likelihood that the No. 7 seed Bruins will advance in their Southeast Regional bracket?
For one, the Bruins are underdogs tonight against the Spartans, by a point to a point and a half, by our friends in Vegas. UCLA leads the all-time series with Michigan St. 5-2, but the two schools haven't played since 2007. At the New York Times, Nate Silver is even less enthused with the Bruins' chances, giving them just a 33.3% chance to win tonight. Silver gives UCLA a 7.7% chance to advance to the Sweet 16.
For more UCLA Bruins hoops news and information, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Bruins Nation. For more information on Michigan St., be sure to read The Only Colors. For the full NCAA tournament bracket, click here.