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Is UCLA the unluckiest team in recent NCAA tournament history?

· Yahoo Sports

The 2025-2026 season came to a close for the UCLA Bruins in a familiar way this past weekend. UCLA was without Tyler Bilodeau in their most important games of the season, which has become a very unwelcome tradition for UCLA under head coach Mick Cronin. 

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A key injury in March isn't a rarity for UCLA

Over the past few years, the Bruins have seen key players go down with injuries in March. This year’s team didn’t look poised to make a run at a national championship but it was just the most-recent costly Bruin injury during tournament time.

Jon Rothstein makes his case

College basketball insider Jon Rothstein covered some of UCLA’s costly injuries on his Inside College Basketball Now Podcast. 

“I have not seen a power conference team more snake-bitten than UCLA when it comes to injuries in the NCAA tournament over the last five years,” Rothstein said. “I don’t think it’s close. UCLA went to the Final Four in 2021 under Mick Cronin. That team’s best player, even though they went to the Final Four, was Chris Smith, who had a season-ending ACL tear.”

It just keeps going too

Unfortunately for UCLA fans, the untimely injuries only began in 2021. The Bruins had to deal with another key injury the next year in 2022.

UCLA had two key injuries in 2023

“In the tournament’s second round game against Saint Mary’s, Jaime Jaquez suffered a badly, badly sprained ankle. UCLA never got Jaquez to 100%, they lose the next week,” Rothstein said. “In 2023, UCLA has a 27-4 record, loses Jaylen Clark, the National Defensive Player of the Year, and Adem Bona.”

The Bruins need to get more talented and have better fortune

Bilodeau’s injury this year was the cherry on top to the worst ice cream sundae imaginable for UCLA. The Bruins not only need to be better as a team, but they’ll also need some better luck to return to the Final Four in the coming years.

This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA has had more than their fair share of injuries in March

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