UCLA Wins Without Star Forward, Proving Depth

0:00On March 21st, 7th-seated UCLA pulled off a close win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, beating 10th-seated UCF-75. To 71, even without their top score on the court, Tyler Bilado, the Bruins star-forward sat out with a knee-spray that flared up just before tip-off. He had been listed as questionable after hurting it in last week's Big Ten Tournament game against Michigan State. Bilado averaged 17.6 points per game this season, along with 5.6 rebounds and led the conference in three-point shooting. Efficiency at 46.4%. Eric Daily Jr. stepped up big, dropping 20 points to leave the team in his absence. The Bruins showed real grit without their all-big 10-13 player, who also missed their next tournament matchup against Purdue. Fans and analysts praised the depth that got them through. UCLA now waits for the winner. Between 2nd-seated Yukon and 15th-seated Ferman in the 2nd round, proving they can compete shorthanded as. March Man is heats up.