Winning in the Big Dance requires being able to move to every song that’s playing.
That’s a March mantra UCLA coach Mick Cronin likes to repeat. It originated with his 81-year-old father, Hep, a former high school basketball coach now known for his fist pumps during Bruins victories.
“It ain’t the tango every night,” Mick Cronin said. “You got to be able to win in different ways against different styles.”
The Bruins’ relentless defense and ability to protect the ball like a newborn make them capable of beating any team this time of year. But there’s more than a few missteps they must avoid to keep dancing through “One Shining Moment,” the season’s final song.
As No. 2 seed UCLA (29-5) prepares to open the NCAA tournament on Thursday night at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento against No. 15 seed North Carolina Asheville (27-7), it hopes that this is just the start of a Big Dance marathon leading to the school’s first national championship since 1995.
Here are 12 things that must go right for the Bruins to raise banner No. 12:
