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UCLA center Skyy Clark has a new smile on display 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 game in the NCAA men’s tournament after taking a stray elbow from UCF’s Themus Fulks as the pair dove for a loose ball late in the second half.
UCLA’s Skyy Clark (55), right, has a tooth knocked out by UCF’s Themus Fulks (12) during the second half of a first-round game of the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The accidental contact knocked out half of Clark’s front tooth, an ugly scene captured on the CBS broadcast.
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“It definitely hurt,” Clark said after the game. “I have a little lisp.”
While Clark was treated by team staff, UCLA’s Jack Seidler sprang into action to find the missing tooth.
“Someone has to understand it, someone has to understand it,” Seidler recalled.
UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) reacts after having his tooth pulled against the UCF Knights in the second half of a first-round game of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 20, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Image Images)
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The broadcast showed Seidler returning to the scene and picking up what was left of Clark’s tooth, which he said caused his cell phone to explode with reactions to his heroics. But for Seidler, the real star was Clark, who returned to play shortly after the incident.
“That’s toughness,” he said. “Losing half a tooth and getting back in the game to help us get the win.”
Clark, who averaged 10.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals throughout his college career, returned and made a free throw with seconds left to secure the Bruins’ victory.
UCLA’s Skyy Clark (55), center, smiles after breaking a tooth during the second half of a first-round game of the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament against UCF in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
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“He looked so good in the locker room,” coach Mick Cronin said after the game. “He looks like a boxer. He keeps trying to talk to these guys about my old days. He just seemed tough. He looks tough. In the locker room, smiling. There’s blood.”
