UCLA could face UAB again after Blazers upset Iowa State

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The biggest upset in March Madness might bode well for UCLA.

No. 14-seeded UAB knocked off third-seeded Iowa State on Thursday, stunning just about anyone that had even passing familiarity with the current college basketball hierarchy. The Blazers entered the game as a 14.5-point underdog. They were ranked on kenpom.com as the 10th-weakest team in the NCAA Tournament field. They had not won outside Birmingham since Jan. 31, clinching an automatic bid by winning the C-USA title just two miles from their home arena.

And somehow, they upset the Cyclones despite shooting below 36 percent.

UAB played better than it did the last time it saw UCLA in November, but this is still a team that the Bruins handled by 12 points at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas. If the No. 11-seed Bruins get past sixth-seeded SMU today, they could be set up for a second straight Sweet 16 run.

RELATED:
— Kevon Looney is likely in the twilight of his UCLA career. Was he used to his potential as a Bruin?
— From columnist Mark Whicker, a look at winding career of SMU coach Larry Brown.