UCLA received the 11th seed in the South Region and will begin play in the NCAA basketball tournament against sixth-seeded SMU Thursday in Louisville.
Some experts predicted that the Bruins (20-13) would fail to qualify for the tournament.
"I definitely think this team's deserving," UCLA coach Steve Alford said on a conference call with reporters. "They've worked awfully hard. I couldn't be more proud of this team."
UCLA finished just 1-7 against top-25 teams in Rating Percentage Index and 2-8 against the top 50, but its schedule was the toughest in the Pac-12.
"We know we have a tough task ahead of us," Alford said. "I know our guys will be ready. Hopefully we'll be successful."
SMU is coached by Hall of Famer Larry Brown, who coached the Bruins from 1979-81, including guiding them to a berth in the 1980 national championship game.
The game will begin at approximately 12:10 p.m. and be carried by cable's truTV.
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