LOS ANGELES — For the fourth time since 2014, the UCLA Bruins have punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA's March Madness Tournament. 

The 11th seeded Bruins will face the number two seed Alabama Crimson Tide on Sunday for a chance to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2008. 

What You Need To Know

  • UCLA Men's Basketball will face Alabama Crimson Tide on Sunday at 4:15 p.m. PT in the Sweet 16 round of March Madness

  • This is the fourth time the Bruins have made a Sweet 16 appearance since 2014

  • PThe Bruins won three games (against Michigan State, BYU, and Abilene Christian) in five days to advance from the play-in game to the sixteenth round

  • Of the 16 remaining teams, the PAC-12 Conference boasts the most, with four schools still in the hunt for a championshipe

While the Crimson Tide are favorites, the Bruins have defied expectations in the postseason and might just have found a lucky charm in super-fan Ryan Gesas. 

Gesas is a Los Angeles native and diehard UCLA fan. 

"I've pretty much started going to UCLA games since before I can remember," Gesas said.

But Gesas doesn't go to UCLA. He's actually a student at Indiana University, and even when he moved to Bloomington, he brought his love for the blue and gold with him.

When Gesas learned his team would be playing two hours away from him this March, he knew he had to be there, but tickets were out of his budget. That's when Gesas decided to shoot his shot on Twitter. 

Gesas never thought that UCLA's Athletic Director Martin Jarmond would see his tweet and let alone make his dreams come true.

Martin gave Gesas two of his tickets to UCLA's first play-in game against Michigan State. 

With Gesas in the stands, the Bruins were victorious, and it was a triumph that bonded those who bleed blue and gold.

"That's obviously the night that started all of this. If we don't win that, I don't have a story to tell," Gesas said. "That game happened, all of the arms around each other, the high fives, it's the stuff like that I'll never forget."

Jarmond has continued to invite Jarmond to games, and the Bruins have continued to win. 

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On Sunday, Gesas will be back to cheer on the Bruins in his superstitious lucky outfit of a Russell Westbrook Jersey, yellow undershirt, and grey sweatpants. 

It's been a week of shining moments for Gesas.

"This team is so special they really are a resilient bunch, and I have no doubt in my mind that they can head into the next game and really take care of Alabama," Gesas said. "It's unbelievable. It's been the greatest week of my life."