In the UCLA corner, Ben Howland continued to emphasize the importance of becoming a No. 1 in the West

The longtime coach had something to say after practice earlier this season, so UCLA seniors Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyger Campbell and David Singleton huddled together.

All of them respectfully listened attentively. Ben Howland was an expert on this subject.

“Look,” Howland told them, “you have to do whatever it takes to be No. 1 in the West.”

It became something of a mantra, sustaining them through long streaks of wins and balancing them after a handful of losses. That may be just what the Bruins need to get through an emotionally challenging week.

After winning the Pac-12 Conference Regular Season title with two games remaining, the fourth-seeded Bruins (25-4 overall, 16-2 Pac-12) may be tempted to finish a lap of honor. which leads to them leading first against a wall in the Pauley Pavilion.

It helps that there’s some incentive built into UCLA’s final two home games of the season, Thursday vs. Arizona State (20-9, 11-7) and Saturday ranked Arizona eighth. Extending the country’s longest active winning streak of 23 games is a priority. So he sent the seniors into their final home game winners, though Campbell said on Wednesday he wasn’t sure that would qualify as his exit given his remaining year of eligibility.

But if the Bruins find they need an extra push, they can always revisit that mantra.

“Coach Howland talks about the only seed in the west, I think that’s something that’s been on our minds a lot throughout the season,” said Jaquez. “When the going got tough, we always had to remember what we were looking for and that was to take that one seed and put ourselves in the best possible position to win a national championship.”

Howland knows how to win the west. He was the last UCLA coach to lead his team to a no. Ranked #1 in the NCAA Tournament, the West Region swept the West Region in 2008. These Bruins advanced through the first two rounds in Anaheim and the regional rounds in San Antonio to the Final Four in San Antonio Phoenix.

To be the #1 or #2 seed in the west this season will result in routes with similar prices. The Bruins are virtually guaranteed to start the tournament in the Sacramento pod regardless of their results in the next two weeks, but a strong finish will likely guarantee a spot in the West Regional, which will play its final games at T-Mobile Arena Las Vegas included .

Staying close to home will limit travel and likely give the Bruins an advantage with fans.

“If we can do it,” Cronin said, “we should win two this week.”

In the most recent projections, released Tuesday, Bracket Matrix ranked UCLA as the best No. 2 seeds listed, with 23 brackets out of 110, the Bruins have cupped a No. 1 seed. The front-runner most vulnerable to being overtaken is Purdue, who have lost four of their last six games.

In his most recent analysis, Joe Lunardi of ESPN listed Kansas as No. 1 in the West, Houston as No. 1 in the Midwest, Purdue as No. 1 in the East, and Alabama as No. 1 in the South.

To make it onto this exclusive list, UCLA must go undefeated against two highly motivated opponents.

Arizona also continues to compete for one of the top seeds in the West, even after being stunned by Arizona State against Desmond Cambridge Jr. this past weekend. ‘s 60 feet at buzzer. The Sun Devils will likely need to split their games against UCLA and USC this week to feel confident in their NCAA Pac-12 tournament chances.

Cronin has received congratulations and text messages since his team beat Colorado to win the Pac-12 title on Sunday. Cronin knows his players get similar compliments that can lead to complacency. Just look at Indiana, Cronin said. Three days after beating Purdue on the street, the Hoosiers came home and beat Iowa.

“Of course,” Cronin said, “the concern for me is that I firmly believe in your emotional gas tank.”

Howland was among those who greeted Cronin. The coaches have known each other since basketball queen Sonny Vaccaro told Cronin when an aide led by Cincinnati’s Bob Huggins recommended that he join Howland’s Pittsburgh staff.

“I said to Sonny, ‘You’re trying to help Ben Howland,'” Cronin recalled, “and he said, ‘Yeah, I’m very close to him,’ and I said, ‘Well, how are we supposed to do that? that? Try to help Mick Cronin.”

Cronin remained on Huggins’ staff before replacing him in 2006. He met Howland on the recruiting trail at club tournaments and developed an appreciation for the also no-nonsense, defensive-minded coach, who led UCLA to three consecutive Final Fours before his 2013 firing led to seven seasons at Mississippi State.

Cronin has welcomed Howland back to campus since the Bulldogs fired him last spring, inviting the 65-year-old to practice and gifting him a John Wooden-era UCLA Letterman jacket. In December, Howland was an honorary captain in a game against Oregon at Pauley Pavilion.

It came as no surprise to Cronin what the intensely focused Howland told him after Cronin’s team won the conference regular title at UCLA for the first time since Howland’s last Bruins team.

“He said, ‘You’ve got to win the next two,'” Cronin said, “‘and get the one seed in the West.’ “