Prominent Coach Floats NCAA Tournament Conspiracy Theory
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 21: A general view of the March Madness logo on center court is seen before the game between the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles and the Florida Gators in the second round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Indiana Farmers Coliseum on March 21, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The NCAA tournament is approaching in a few short weeks. 68 teams will have a chance at college basketball's ultimate prize, the national championship. One coach says his team is already being put at a disadvantage, despite having yet to play a single game in the tournament.
UCLA head coach Mick Cronin has a pretty unusual theory on why that may be the case for the Bruins.
According to the AP, Cronin says the Bruins are being slighted over their impending move away from the Pac-12 and into the Big Ten.
"When we left the Pac-12, it cost a lot of people millions of dollars and there was going to be fallout, and I think it’s a direct result," Cronin said. "I had nothing to do with us leaving the league, but you deal with the fallout being a lame duck."
Taking a look at UCLA's resume for the season, and Cronin looks to have a point. UCLA is at the top of the Pac-12 at 23-4 with a 14-2 record in the conference.
They're currently ranked 4th in the nation, a ranking that would typically mean a team is set for a top seed in the tournament.
Despite their standing, the Bruins are projected as the 8th best team in the pre-tournament seeding, a number that puts them in line for a number 2 seed in the tournament.
