The time for talking is (almost) over and bracket-busting will soon commence.
But before No. 2-seeded UCLA opens the NCAA tournament Thursday against No. 15-seeded UNC Asheville to cap Day 1, here’s what the Bruins need to do to enjoy a lengthy run in pursuit of banner No. 12 and the question marks that may derail the journey.
Defense wins championships, right?
This fits in with both UCLA’s undeniable strength and the giant void that may inevitably sink its national championship hopes.
Jaylen Clark, one of four finalists for the Naismith national defensive player of the year award, is expected to miss the entire tournament with a lower right leg injury.
Adem Bona, a Pac-12 Conference all-defensive team selection and the league’s top freshman, missed the conference championship game loss to Arizona last Saturday with a left shoulder injury suffered in the previous round.
Bona practiced Wednesday but continues to battle soreness. When the brackets were revealed Sunday, UCLA head coach Mick Cronin was “optimistic” and added that it would be tough to keep his lone true starting big man out of the lineup.
Cronin backed off those comments a smidge Wednesday, and when posed with the theoretical question about playing an available player at less than 100% he appreciated the sly attempt to get a definitive answer about Bona’s status.
“Yeah, Adem's situation, being transparent with you, is two-fold,” Cronin said. “We're trying to get him better every day, and then when the game comes we'll assess where he's at and I'll make that decision, if it would be prudent to rest him or not.
“It's simply how sore is he and how much can he play effectively. If he can't, then there would be no point in playing him.”
If the 6-foot-10 Bona is unable to play or his tournament run gets interrupted along the way, the already undersized Bruins will have a tough time dealing with bigger teams such as Gonzaga in the West Region.
UCLA might be resilient enough to battle through one key injury but few teams, if any, can overcome two injuries to key players who represent so much of its identity.
