UCLA
Iowa
Men's Basketball Prepares to Play at Iowa on Saturday
December 29, 2025 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – The Bruins (10-3, 2-0) will resume the bulk of their Big Ten schedule this weekend, as UCLA plays at No. 25 Iowa (11-2, 1-1) on Saturday, Jan. 3. In addition, UCLA will play next Tuesday night at Wisconsin. Both of these upcoming Big Ten road games will be nationally broadcast by Peacock. Each of UCLA's games are available in the greater Los Angeles area on AM 790 radio (KABC), with Josh Lewin and Tracy Murray on the call.
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, Iowa)
Capacity: 14,998
Saturday's Game Time: 3 p.m. PT (5 p.m. CT)
Broadcast Network: Peacock (live link)
Radio (UCLA Audio Network): AM 790 (KABC)
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
Sirius XM Channels: Channels are TBD for Saturday
Live Stats: ucla.statbroadcast.com (link here)
UCLA'S TICKET INFORMATION (HOME GAMES)
Single-game tickets for UCLA's home games are on sale. The Bruins have nine remaining regular-season games inside Pauley Pavilion this season. Fans can view complete ticket information about UCLA men's basketball by clicking here. Direct links to single-game ticket purchases can be viewed here. Fans can call (310) 206-5991 or email tickets@athletics.ucla.edu for more information. In addition, be sure to check out all of the game themes and upcoming promotions for this season.
UCLA IN DECEMBER
– The Bruins posted a 5-1 record in the month of December, including Big Ten wins over Washington and Oregon.
– Through Sunday, Dec. 28, the Bruins ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting percentage (39.8% in 13 games).
– In the Bruins' past six contests, Tyler Bilodeau has averaged a team-leading 22.5 points per game.
– Skyy Clark shot 23 for 43 from 3-point distance in the Bruins' six December contests (53.5 percent).
– Clark averaged 18.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists for UCLA in six December games.
– UCLA closed December with home wins over Arizona State (90-77), Cal Poly (108-87) and UC Riverside (97-65).
– The Bruins shot 82.3 percent from the free throw stripe in six December games (116-for-141).
– The Bruins will open Big Ten play late next week, with a road contest at Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 3.
MORE ON TYLER BILODEAU
– Tyler Bilodeau entered the week in a tie for No. 7 in scoring among all Big Ten players (19.0 ppg).
– Bilodeau has scored in double figures in nine of 11 games played this season, totaling 20 points or more in five games.
– Bilodeau has shot 54.8 percent from the field, 46.7 percent from three, and 92.9 percent at the free throw line.
– Bilodeau scored a career-best 34 points (12-of-19 shooting) in UCLA's win over UC Riverside (Dec. 23, 2025).
– Bilodeau has made each of his last 22 consecutive free throw attempts (spanning the last three contests, 22-for-22).
MORE ON SKYY CLARK
– Skyy Clark was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Monday, Dec. 22, for the first time in his career.
– Clark has entered this week ranking No. 1 in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting percentage (49.3%).
– Clark has made 25 of 28 free throw attempts in 13 games (89.3%).
– Clark scored a season-high 30 points in the team's 108-87 win over Cal Poly on Friday, Dec. 19.
– Clark has totaled 947 career points through four college seasons, standing just 53 shy of the 1,000-point plateau.
BRUINS VERSUS IOWA
– UCLA defeated Iowa in the one regular-season matchup last season, securing a 94-70 win in Pauley Pavilion.
– The Bruins have gone 4-5 in nine total matchups against Iowa, in a series that began in December of 1950.
– This Saturday evening's game will mark UCLA's first contest in the state of Iowa since Dec. 22, 1990 (game at Iowa).
– The Bruins will be playing at the University of Iowa for the third time in program history on Saturday.
– owa has gone 11-2 this season, most recently earning a 90-62 win over UMass Lowell on Monday evening.
LOOKING AT THE BRUINS
– Four Bruins have averaged at least 10 points per game this season, led by Tyler Bilodeau (19.0 ppg).
– Donovan Dent (12.6 ppg) leads UCLA with 79 assists, averaging 6.6 assists per game (No. 3 in the Big Ten).
– Skyy Clark ranks second on the team in scoring (14.2 ppg) and leads all Big Ten players in 3-point shooting (49.3%).
– Eric Dailey Jr. has averaged 10.6 points and a team-best 5.6 rebounds per game in 12 contests.
– Tyler Bilodeau (92.9%) and Skyy Clark (89.3%) have both shot at least 89 percent this season at the free throw line.
– The Bruins have gone 9-0 this season when committing fewer turnovers than their opposition.
– The three opponents (Arizona, California, Gonzaga) that UCLA has lost to have posted a combined record of 37-2.
– UCLA has shot 39.8 percent from 3-point distance, which ranks second in the Big Ten (through Sunday, Dec. 28).
– The Bruins have scored at least 40 points before halftime in eight of their past nine games (and in nine games total).
GUARD PLAY
– Both Skyy Clark (14.2 ppg) and Donovan Dent (12.6 ppg) are averaging double figures in scoring this season.
– Donovan Dent (6.6 apg) and Trent Perry (2.5 apg) rank first and second on the team, respectively, in assists per game.
– Donovan Dent, Skyy Clark, Trent Perry and Jamar Brown have accounted for 50.6 percent of UCLA's total points.
– Jaylen Hands is the most recent UCLA player (14.2 ppg, 6.1 apg in 2018-19) to average at least 10.0 ppg and 6.0 apg.
– Donovan Dent (19 steals) and Skyy Clark (18) stand as the Bruins' top two leaders in steals this season.
WHAT'S AHEAD?
– UCLA's upcoming schedule in the month of January includes nine games – five on the road and four at home.
– The Bruins' nine-game schedule in January includes a pair of ranked foes (No. 25 Iowa, No. 5 Purdue)
– The Bruins have not played at Iowa since Dec. 1990 and have not competed at Wisconsin since Dec. 1962.
– Each of UCLA's remaining 18 games are all part of the Big Ten Conference schedule (20 Big Ten games, in total).
– With games coming up at Iowa and Wisconsin, UCLA will play five of its next eight games on the road.
ASSISTS PER GAME
Through 12 games played, senior Donovan Dent has averaged 12.6 points and 6.6 assists per game. Dent, a 6-foot-2 guard from Riverside, Calif., could be on track to join a rare group of UCLA guards who averaged at least 10 points and six assists per game over the course of a full season. Most recently, then-sophomore Jaylen Hands averaged 14.2 points and 6.1 assists during UCLA's 2018-19 season. Pooh Richardson in the late 1980s accomplished this per-game average all four seasons, including a pair of back-to-back seasons where he averaged at least 7.0 assists per game.
STRONG SCORING
Senior forward Tyler Bilodeau was tied for seventh in scoring among all Big Ten players (19.0 ppg), through Sunday's games. He has shot 54.8 percent from the field in 11 games. The 6-foot-9 product from Kennewick, Wash., scored 16 consecutive points for UCLA early in the second half of a road win at Washington. From the 18:05 mark of the second half through the 14-minute mark, Bilodeau registered 16 points on six made shots and three free throws (all from and-one opportunities). Over the Bruins' past six contests, Bilodeau has averaged 22.5 points per game while shooting 14-for-28 from beyond the 3-point arc. Bilodeau leads the Big Ten in free throw percentage (92.9%, 52-for-56).
YEAR TWO WITH ERIC DAILEY JR.
Junior guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. has averaged 10.6 points, a team-best 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, shooting 50.0 percent from the field. He made his season debut in a win over Pepperdine (Nov. 7), and has shot 34.3 percent from 3-point distance (12-for-35). Dailey Jr., who played in 33 of UCLA's 34 games as a sophomore last season, had a 15-point and 10-rebound effort against Sacramento State on Tuesday, Nov. 18. Dailey Jr. has totaled four career double-doubles – two at UCLA, and two during his freshman season at Oklahoma State (2023-24).
RUNNING THE POINT
Senior Donovan Dent transferred from New Mexico to UCLA in the offseason and has averaged 12.6 points and 6.6 assists through 12 games with the Bruins. Dent has recorded two point-assist double-doubles this season (totaling nine in his career). In the Bruins' home victory against Cal Poly on Friday, Dec. 19, he had 16 points, 11 assists and zero turnovers. Through Sunday's games, Dent ranked third among all Big Ten players in assists per game (6.6) and was No. 14, nationally. Over UCLA's last four games, Dent has logged 28 assists and 11 turnovers while averaging 13.8 points per game.
SKYY IS THE LIMIT
Senior Skyy Clark has averaged 14.2 points and 2.8 rebounds through all 13 games. He connected on six 3-pointers in back-to-back victories against Arizona State (Dec. 17) and Cal Poly (Dec. 19), becoming UCLA's first-ever player to have nailed six or more 3-pointers in consecutive contests. Through UCLA's last six games, Clark has averaged 18.0 points while shooting 53.5 percent (23-for-43) from 3-point distance. Clark has entered this week ranking No. 12, nationally, in 3-point shooting percentage (49.3%) and ranked No. 1 among all Big Ten players in that statistical category.
TOP DEFENDERS
The Bruins' program has produced some of the nation's most talented defensive players over the past several seasons. Last year, then-senior Kobe Johnson was honored as one of five players on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team, closing the year at No. 6 in the conference in steals per game (1.6 spg, 55 steals in 34 games). Two seasons ago (2023-24), then-sophomore Adem Bona was honored as the Pac-12 Conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Bona led UCLA's team that season in blocks (58 blocks, 1.8 bpg) and was second in steals (37 steals, 1.1 spg). Three seasons ago (2022-23), then-junior Jaylen Clark was honored as the Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year and the NABC Defensive Player of the Year.
ADDITIONAL UCLA BASKETBALL NOTES
– The Bruins have returned four of their primary contributors from last season's squad. In addition, UCLA has welcomed back two redshirt players and has brought in five transfers. Three of UCLA's top four scorers from last year's squad have returned in seniors Tyler Bilodeau (13.5 ppg last season) and Skyy Clark (8.5 ppg) and junior Eric Dailey Jr. (11.4 ppg).
– UCLA's five incoming transfer students include Xavier Booker (from Michigan State), Jamar Brown (from UMKC), Donovan Dent (from New Mexico), Steven Jamerson II (from San Diego) and Anthony Peoples Jr. (from North Carolina Central). Last season, Dent secured honorable mention All-America acclaim at New Mexico (averaged 20.4 ppg, 6.4 apg).
– Donovan Dent (point guard), Eric Dailey Jr. (small forward) and Tyler Bilodeau (power forward) have each been named to 20-person positional watch lists at the start of the season. Dent is on the Bob Cousy Award watch list, while Dailey Jr. has been tabbed to the Julius Erving Award watch list, and Tyler Bilodeau to the Karl Malone Award watch list.
– Through games played from 2010-11 through 2024-25, Coach Cronin was tied for the fifth-most victories of any NCAA Division I coach (373 wins in a 15-year span). He's tied on that list with Michigan State's Tom Izzo (373 wins) and trails Mark Few of Gonzaga (451), Bill Self of Kansas (426), John Calipari of Arkansas (397) and Randy Bennett of Saint Mary's (379).
NOTES ON PAULEY PAVILION
This marks UCLA's 60th season playing basketball at Pauley Pavilion and the 14th season since the arena underwent a major renovation. Last year, the Bruins went 15-2 in Pauley Pavilion. The first game in Pauley took place on Dec. 3, 1965, as No. 1 UCLA defeated Ohio State, 92-66. UCLA spent 47 seasons in Pauley Pavilion before the venue was closed for an 18-month renovation (closed in March of 2011). UCLA hosted 18 home games in 2011-12 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena (14 games) near downtown L.A. and at the Honda Center in Anaheim (four games) before returning home in Nov. of 2012.
In 2023-24, CSUN snapped UCLA's 29-home-game winning streak with a 76-72 win over the Bruins (Dec. 19, 2023). Prior to that game, UCLA had not lost at home since an overtime setback (84-81) to Oregon on Jan. 13, 2022. Since taking over as UCLA's head coach prior to 2019-20, Mick Cronin has guided UCLA to an 88-15 home record (85.4 win percentage).
CONSECUTIVE THREE-POINTERS
UCLA has made at least one 3-pointer in each of its last 77 games. The Bruins went 0-for-6 from long range in a 78-58 win against Long Island University early in the 2023-24 season in Pauley Pavilion (on Nov. 15, 2023). That game snapped a streak of 792 consecutive contests with at least one made 3-pointer by UCLA. That 3-point streak began after the Bruins finished 0-for-14 from 3-point distance in a home loss to No. 2 Stanford (78-63) on Feb. 3, 2000. The Bruins' single-game 3-point record stands at 19 made 3-pointers (going 19-for-31) in an 104-89 win at Colorado on Jan. 12, 2017.
TRENDS AND RECORDS
The Bruins have gone 39-24 in games decided by five points or fewer under head coach Mick Cronin (includes all overtime games, regardless of the final score margin). Through Coach Cronin's final three seasons at Cincinnati (2016-17 through 2018-19), his teams went 18-7 in such situations. From 2016-17 through 2025-26, Coach Cronin's teams have gone 57-31 in these contests. In addition, UCLA has gone 66-13 when forcing at least 15 turnovers by the opponent (8-1 in 2019-20, 6-1 in 2020-21, 10-2 in 2021-22, 21-3 in 2022-23, 5-0 in 2023-24, 10-5 in 2024-25 and 6-1 this season).
