Can the UCLA Bruins win the National Championship?

The UCLA Bruins are rolling into the Sweet 16, but can they pull off the improbable and win a National Championship?

UCLA might be a No. 11 seed, but they are not an opponent to take lightly. Just ask the UAB Blazers, the helpless victim of a 17-point beatdown at the hands of the Bruins last Saturday.

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The Blazers are no top-10 team like Gonzaga, but a blowout at the Big Dance is a confidence builder regardless, something that the Bruins need desperately as they will spend the remainder of the season playing the underdog role.

UCLA’s loss to Gonzaga earlier this season marked the beginning of a downward spiral and a five-game losing streak. Bryce Alford scored 23 points on 50 percent shooting, as he was the sole bright spot from the game. The rest of the team looked completely lost.

Somewhere in the midst of that midseason rough patch the Bruins began to find their identity. Perhaps it was the 86-81 double-overtime victory over Stanford on Jan. 8th, when Kevon Looney went off for 27 points and 19 rebounds. Down by double-digits with less than ten minutes remaining, Looney and his post-counterpart Tony Parker took control of the game, leading UCLA to a huge comeback victory.

Perhaps this display of dominance was exactly what the Bruins needed to turn their season around. They had yet to realize their potential, but they did that January night at Pauley Pavilion.

Under the bright lights of Los Angeles, Calif., it is common to search for the superstar or big story behind this team. Some will say it is the story of the coach’s son, point guard Bryce Alford, emerging from his father Steve’s shadow and excelling in the postseason.

Others believe they will run out of luck and should have been eliminated in the first round, as their upset of No. 6 seed SMU came as a result of a controversial goaltending call that gave UCLA a late-lead and eventually the win.

None of those are the true narrative of this team.

The true story of this team is one of a group of young men who show up consistently every night. If one player falters, another picks up the slack. A prime example goes back to the turning point of the season against Stanford, where the Bruins’ third and fourth scoring options in Looney and Parker rose to the occasion and provided UCLA with a combined 49 points and 31 rebounds.

As a result, they feature one of the most balanced lineups left in the NCAA tournament.

Did you know? #UCLA is the only team in the Sweet 16 with at least five players averaging 10+ points per game. pic.twitter.com/D1NqrVA1yx
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) March 26, 2015

The Bruins also have history on their side. Nine years ago this week, UCLA stunned Gonzaga with an improbable comeback in one of the most memorable NCAA tournament games in recent history. The win signified the Bruin’s return to basketball prominence, and the image of Zags legend Adam Morrison weeping at midcourt is now engrained in the minds of college basketball fans everywhere.

Former UCLA Bruin and Philadelphia 76er’s forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute played a key role in that magical run, and he took to Twitter in support of his UCLA Bruins:

Sweet16 prediction: We did it 9 years ago U can do it again ! #gobruins #8clap Luc Richard Mbah a Moute UCLA/Gonzaga http://t.co/yrtrVhNreZ
— Luc Mbah a Moute (@mbahamoute) March 25, 2015

It may be a long shot, but that didn’t stop fellow No. 11 seeds VCU in 2011 or George Mason in 2006.

This team has every capability to shock the nation with a Final Four run. That run must continue tonight against Gonzaga, a formidable opponent but far from an unbeatable one.

If UCLA continues to receive solid contributions from an array of players across the board, along with star performances out of their dominant post duo and an occasional bit of luck they will find themselves playing deep into March, the Elite Eight, and very Possibly the Final Four.

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