UCLA is going dancing.

Proving almost every bracket projection wrong, the Bruins earned a No. 11-seed in the NCAA Tournament’s South Region. They will play on Thursday in Louisville against No. 6 Southern Methodist, helmed by former UCLA head coach Larry Brown.

Their spot had looked increasingly tenuous as CBS’ selection show rolled on, as bubble team after bubble team flashed up on the screen: Indiana, LSU, Georgia, Boise State. But it turned out that the Bruins had done enough to impress the NCAA selection committee.

“One of the tougher the committee has had to make,” said Scott Barnes, the NCAA selection committee chair. “We tracked UCLA over the last month or so, felt like they were gaining steam. … I think the eye test was a plus in putting them in the field.”

The surprise bid comes just two days after it lost to Arizona in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinal. A win over the Wildcats would have almost been enough to move UCLA (20-13) safely off the bubble — but it turns out that even the 70-64 loss, as good a showing as anyone expected, was already enough.