That would put us in a tough 8-9 matchup, with a 1-seed waiting in the Round of 32 if we advance. That’s a rough draw—not just for us, but in this projection, we’d be up against Houston. Houston is a great team with a coach I really respect, but if I were them, I’d be frustrated about having to face UCLA that early. Even though we wouldn’t be the favorites, we’d absolutely have a shot at winning that game.
We’re currently 24 in the NET rankings, 26 according to CBS’s 25 and 1, 28 in the AP poll, and 31 in the coaches' poll. That doesn’t exactly scream an 8-seed, but I guess most computer rankings just aren’t on our side.