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UCLA center Skyy Clark has a new smile he’s showing off after the Bruins’ 75-71 win over UCF on Friday night.
The California native and senior lost his front tooth during UCLA’s first-round loss in the men’s NCAA Tournament after he caught an errant elbow from UCF’s Themus Fulks as the pair dived for a loose ball late in the second half.
UCLA’s Skyy Clark (55), right, has a tooth chipped by UCF’s Themus Fulks (12) during the second half of a first-round NCAA men’s college basketball tournament in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The accidental contact knocked out half of Clark’s front tooth, a nasty scene captured on the CBS broadcast.
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“It definitely hurt,” Clark said after the game. “I have a little lisp going on.”
When Clark was attended to by team personnel, UCLA walk-on Jack Seidler jumped into action to find the missing tooth.
“Someone’s got to get it, somebody’s got to get it,” Seidler recalled.
UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) reacts after having his tooth knocked out against the UCF Knights during the second half of a first round men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament game at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 20, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
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The broadcast showed Seidler returning to the scene and retrieving what was left of Clark’s tooth, which he said resulted in his cell phone blowing up with reactions to his heroics. But for Seidler, the real star was Clark, who returned to play shortly after the incident.
“That’s toughness right there,” he said. “Losing half a tooth and getting back in the game to help us win.”
Clark, who averaged 10.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals throughout his collegiate career, came back and hit a free throw with seconds left to seal the Bruins’ victory.
UCLA’s Skyy Clark (55), center, smiles after chipping his tooth during the second half of a first-round NCAA men’s college basketball tournament game against UCF in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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“He looked so good in the locker room,” head coach Mick Cronin said after the game. “Looks like a boxer. Keep trying to talk to these guys about my old days. He just looked tough. Looking tough. In the locker room, smiling. There’s blood.”
