BREAKING: UCLA Has First Opponent for NCAA Tournament

The UCLA Bruins have their first opponent for the NCAA Tournament as they get set for another run in the big dance. They will go on another cross-country road trip for the first-round action.

Mar 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin (center) talks with guard Skyy Clark (55) and guard Lazar Stefanovic (10) in the second half against the Southern California Trojans at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

March Madness is here for the UCLA Bruins (22-10) as they now know who they will play and where they will travel for first-round action in the NCAA Tournament. After missing the tournament a season ago, Coach Mick Cronin's group is determined to make some noise in 2025.

Selection Sunday featured the Bruins earning a No. 7 seed and a date with the Utah State Aggies (26-7) in the Midwest region, playing in Lexington, Kent. Tip off is set for Thursday, but the time is still to be determined.

The Bruins are coming off a blowout loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in the quarterfinal of the Big Ten Tournament and are eager to bounce back. In the last few weeks, UCLA was projected to be a No. 6 seed, but the most recent loss is likely the reason they dropped one spot.

They will face a very talented Aggie team that lost in the Mountain West semifinal to Colorado State Friday night. Both teams will be traveling from the west side of the country to Kentucky.

Despite the struggles that UCLA has faced away from the West Coast, it is much more seasoned in terms of long-distance road trips. The Aggies spent the majority of their season in the friendly confines of their geographical region and will have to make one of their longest trips of the year.

Utah State finished third in its conference with a 15-5 record, earning its place in the Field of 68. It possesses a pair of elite scorers, starting with senior guard Ian Martinez, averaging 16.8 points on 44.6% shooting and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Sophomore guard Mason Falslev is the team's leading rebounder at 6.2 boards per contest while averaging 14.9 points. Those two are the only Aggies that average double figures, despite being a team that scores 80.9 points per game, good for second-highest in the Mountain West.

If the Bruins are able to earn a First Round victory, they will play the winner of the No. 2-seeded Tennessee Volunteers and the No. 15-seeded Wofford in the Round of 32 Saturday afternoon.

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