Michigan Basketball: Who are the UCLA Bruins?

Juwan Howard’s Michigan basketball team has advanced to the Elite 8 for the fourth time since 2013. After getting past Florida State with relative ease by a score of 76-58, they turn their attention to Mick Cronin’s UCLA Bruins.

The Wolverines dispatched the Florida State Seminoles on Sunday night and didn’t struggle while doing it. Even as the lead was cut to five points early in the second half, the game always seemed to be in control.

Now the Wolverines will face a team whose calling card this tournament has been creating chaos. The 11-seed Bruins are just the second team to advance to the Elite Eight from the First Four, the other being VCU in 2011.

UCLA’s success with their backs against the metaphorical wall in this tournament is remarkable and certainly worthy of praise. They have defeated fellow 11-seed Michigan State, 6-seed BYU, 14-seed Abilene Christian, and 2-seed Alabama to get here — nobody has won more 2021 NCAA Tournament games than Mick Cronin and the UCLA Bruins.

While UCLA’s run has been magical, they did have some good fortune as 3-seed Texas fell in a stunning upset to open their tournament.

Michigan basketball had not been so lucky thus far and was actually in the lone region across the bracket where the top seeds won each game they were supposed to.

The Wolverines have at last received a fortuitous bounce from the basketball gods. Playing an 11-seed for the right to play in the Final Four is extremely fortunate and a situation that the Wolverines must take advantage of. UCLA stands between the Wolverines and another banner in the Crisler Center.

So, who are the UCLA Bruins and how will they attack Michigan?