LOS ANGELES — Writing out the injuries the UCLA men’s basketball team has dealt with this season might make your wrist sore. Maybe, try typing it out, but if you’re printing the list, make sure there’s enough ink.

After Mac Etienne and Will McClendon suffered season-ending injuries before a game was played, Cody Riley, Johnny Juzang, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jaylen Clark, Peyton Watson and Tyger Campbell have all missed time because of injuries.

Only Jules Bernard and Myles Johnson have played all 32 games. Jaquez – an Ironman of sorts – has played 31 games.

The list is long, but there haven’t been any recent additions, which is good for the fourth-seeded Bruins as they head into the East Region of the NCAA Tournament the healthiest they have been all season.

“It’s nice to have everyone available. It’s big,” said Juzang, who has endured hip and ankle injuries.

UCLA drew No. 13 seed Akron in its first-round game, which is Thursday at 6:50 p.m. (TBS) at the Moda Center in Portland.

If there is anything UCLA proved with last season’s Final Four run, seeding doesn’t matter. Coach Mick Cronin says he would sacrifice seeding for health if he could.

“If you were to say to me, ‘You can be a No. 1 seed with injuries going into the tournament or be a No. 4 seed healthy,’ I would (choose) healthy. … We’re as healthy as we’ve been (all year),” Cronin said.

Healthy is good. But the Bruins are playing well, too, despite coming off a loss to Arizona in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game, which Cronin had high praise for.

“That was a great game,” Cronin said. “By far the best game of any other conference tournament finals that I saw – by far – like not even close. As far as watching two teams that got a real chance.”

Cronin went on about Arizona: “If you were to ask me, I’d make (Arizona) the favorite to win the (NCAA) title. Right now, with their size and athleticism, and Bennedict Mathurin, he reminds me of Dwyane Wade with a jump shot.”

NORMAL FEEL

The NCAA Tournament will be carried out in a traditional way this year, opposed to the “bubble” that was created in Indianapolis last spring due to COVID-19.

It means more fans, more travel, more normalcy.

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“The biggest difference is traveling every weekend, then coming back (home),” Juzang said. “Last year, we were in one place, one environment the whole time. Carrying momentum and focus, I don’t think we’ll have an issue with that, but it’s definitely a big difference.”

Many prognosticators had UCLA playing its early-round games in San Diego, but the Bruins landed in Portland instead. Not as close, of course, but still the west coast.

“For these guys, it makes it more exciting. They haven’t experienced that part yet. As a coach, I’ve been to a lot of these tournaments now, but these guys didn’t get that (last year),” Cronin said. “At least their families went to Indianapolis last year. It will be interesting to see how it all plays back out.”

If the Bruins advance, their East Regional semifinals and final will be played in Philadelphia.