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2013 Bracketology: UCLA projected in after win over Arizona

The Bruins should be dancing in March after capturing another impressive win over the Wildcats last week.

USA TODAY Sports

The UCLA Bruins have been on and off the NCAA Tournament bubble throughout the 2012-13 season, but it looks like they've locked up a spot to go dancing after defeating the No. 11 Arizona Wildcats 74-69 on March 2. Now sitting at 23-8 overall, the Bruins hold the No. 1 spot for the Pac-12 Conference tournament.

According to Eamonn Brennan of ESPN.com, UCLA defeating Arizona twice this season gives the Bruins the credentials for the postseason tournament:

Say what you want about the Wildcats -- and you can start with the fact that a team with Final Four aspirations has played league-average Pac-12 defense -- but two wins over this Arizona team is still nonetheless impressive.

A 73-71 loss to Washington State four days after defeating Arizona didn't exactly help the cause. The Bruins will be chastised for losses like this (keep in mind the Cougars are 4-14 in conference play), but the résumé is still good enough at this point. A strong showing in the conference tournament will prove their worth.

Joe Lunardi currently has UCLA as a No. 7 seed in his bracket.

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