UCLA Bruins' March Madness Hangs on Bilodeau's Knee

0:00On March 21st, the UCLA Bruins kicked off the NCAA tournament with a solid 75-71 win over UCF in the first round. But they did it without their star forward, Tyler Bilado, their leading scorer, all season. His knee injury has kept him sidelined, and now his health could decide how far the team goes. Bilado sprained his right knee back on March 13th during a big 10 tournament game against Michigan State. He's missed two games since then, including a loss to Purdue that ended their conference run. The Bruins were cautious heading into March madness, even though early reports suggested he'd be ready. Fans and analysts are watching closely because Bilado averages 17.26 points per game, graphs 5.6 rebounds, and shoots over 46 percent from. Three-point range. He's been huge for UCLA this year after transferring from Oregon State. Without him, the team scraped by, but showed they can compete. Coach McCronon noted Bilado practiced Thursday, but felt stiffness.

1:01Friday, so they held him out and planned to check him against Saturday. His status stays up in the air for the second round. That matchup comes against the winner of Yukon Inferman, and getting Bilado back could spark a deep tournament run for the Bruins.