Three local Pac-12 teams will be moving on to postseason competition. The UCLA women’s basketball team will compete in the WNIT as the UCLA and USC men’s teams will head to the NCAA Tournament.
The Bruin men had an exciting run last year, being the first team in March Madness history to battle from the First Four play-in game to the Final Four. With a 25-7 overall record, they look primed to make another long run. With a No. 4 seed in March Madness, they will battle against Akron (24-9) on Thursday, March 17 at 6:50PM PST on TBS.
UCLA flaunts offensive firepower with four Bruins averaging over 11 points per game; junior guard Johnny Juzang leads the squad with 16.0 points per game. Junior guard Tyger Campbell also leads the team in total assists with 126.
The 6’7” junior Jaime Jaquez jr leads the team in rebounds, grabbing 5.8 boards per game; he also leads the team in total steals with 36. The Bruin men reached the Pac-12 Tournament championship, but lost to Arizona 84-76; senior guard Jules Bernard paced the team with 19 points and Jaquez made 10 rebounds in the bout.
The Bruin women battled through injuries and canceled games to get a 14-12 overall record. Young players had to compete in the highly rigorous Pac-12 which can only help the Bruin women’s depth in the WNIT. They play UC Irvine in Pauley Pavilion in the first round on March 18 at 6:50PM.
Junior guard Charisma Osborne paces the team with 16.4 points per game and graduate forward Iimar’I Thomas leads rebounding with 5.9 boards per game. The UCLA women make 66.4 points per game and usually shoots at 40 percent from the field.
In the Pac-12 Tournament, UCLA defeated USC in the first round. Thomas secured 18 points and freshman forward Angela Dugalić made 12 rebounds against the Women of Troy. However, the Bruins fell 63-60 to Oregon in the second round.
The seventh seed Trojans are set to play Miami in the first round on March 18 on 12:10PM PST. Many players on the roster competed for USC last year during their historic run to the Elite Eight. Junior forward Isaiah Mobley leads the team with 14.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
With their 26-7 overall record, the Trojans look prepared for a deep run in the tournament. They started the 2021-2022 season with a 13-0 winning streak. USC usually scores 72.6 points per game. A helpful addition to the Trojan offense is junior guard Boogie Ellis who leads the team in three-pointers, making 46 this season.
During their loss to the Bruin men in the Pac-12 Tournament, Ellis led the team with 27 points. He landed five three-point shots in the effort. Mobley and senior forward Chevez Goodwin added seven rebounds each.
All three teams had contending seasons, but the postseason will be a test of their endurance and skill.
