University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Northwestern
Men's Basketball to Host Northwestern on Saturday
January 23, 2026 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – The Bruins (13-6, 5-3) will host Northwestern (9-10, 1-7) on Saturday afternoon inside inside Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. UCLA is currently in the middle of a six-game stretch that includes five home games. This Saturday's game at UCLA will be nationally televised on FS1, with Carlo Jiménez and Don MacLean calling the action. Fans can also listen to UCLA's radio broadcast on AM 790 (KABC).
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial
Capacity: 13,800
Tipoff Time: 3:05 p.m. (PT)
Broadcast Network: FS1
Broadcast Talent: Carlo Jiménez (play-by-play), Don MacLean (analyst)
Radio (UCLA Audio Network): AM 790 (KABC)
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
Sirius XM Channels: SiriusXM 389 and SiriusXM App
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 seven 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.
MOST RECENTLY
• The Bruins have won eight of their last 12 games and have gone 3-3 in the month of January.
• Donovan Dent scored 23 points and had 13 assists in UCLA's 69-67 win over No. 4 Purdue on Wednesday.
• UCLA logged its first win over a top-five ranked team (AP poll) since defeating No. 3 Arizona, 75-59, on Jan. 25, 2022.
• Five Bruins have averaged at least 10 points per game this season, led by senior Tyler Bilodeau (18.2 ppg).
• Tyler Bilodeau hit the game-winning 3-pointer with eight seconds to play in the win against Purdue on Wednesday.
• The Bruins will play their next five games along the West Coast, with four of those five games taking place at home.
• Through Wednesday, Jan. 21, the Bruins ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage (37.3% in 19 games).
• Through Wednesday, Jan. 21, UCLA ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage defense (29.6% in 19 games).
• Tyler Bilodeau ranks No. 9 in the Big Ten in scoring, having averaged 18.2 points per game.
• Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark and Trent Perry have each scored 30 or more points in a game this season.
• Tyler Bilodeau has averaged 20.1 points and 5.8 rebounds in UCLA's last 10 games.
• Donovan Dent has averaged 13.7 points and 7.2 assists per game in the Bruins' last 10 contests.
• The Bruins, at 13-6 overall, have logged the same record through 19 games as they did last season.
BRUINS VERSUS NORTHWESTERN
UCLA has gone 6-1 in the all-time series against Northwestern, inclduing a 73-69 win over the Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena last season (in Evanston, Ill.). Prior to last season's contest in Illinois, UCLA had previously faced Northwestern in the secdon round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, in a game played in Sacramento. The Bruins won that contest (No. 2-seed vs. No. 7-seed) by a 68-63 margin. This Saturday's game will mark Northwestern's first-ever game played in Pauley Pavilion the the Wildcats' first game against UCLA in the Los Angeles area since 1948.
UCLA OUTLASTS PURDUE
The Bruins notched a 69-67 win over No. 4 Purdue on Tuesday in Pauley Pavilion, in a game that featured seven lead changes and four ties. UCLA trailed Purdue, 67-61, with under 1:55 to play in regulation. Donovan Dent nailed a 3-pointer with 1:32 to play and the Bruins took advantage of a steal with 1:09 left, converting a layup by Eric Dailey Jr. at the 1:05 mark. After Purdue turned over the ball with under 35 seconds left, Tyler Bilodeau drained a 3-pointer to help UCLA secure a 69-67 lead with eight seconds to play. Purdue's C.J. Cox's missed a 3-pointer in the game's final three seconds.
FREE THROWS
UCLA shot a perfect 21-for-21 on Wednesday, Jan. 14, as the Bruins won at Penn State, 71-60. That marked the program's best 100-percent performance at the line in the modern era (dates back to 1970). Previously, the Bruins made 13 of 13 free throws in a 79-68 win against California in Pauley Pavilion on March 1, 1979. That game had been the previous milestone for most made free throws in an 100-percent effort. Last season, UCLA was 10-for-10 in the NCAA Tournament against Utah State (the Bruins won that matchup, 72-47). Over the last 10 games, UCLA has shot 79.6 percent at the line.
WHAT'S ON DECK?
• Next week, the Bruins will play at Oregon on Wednesday evening (Jan. 28) before hosting Indiana on Saturday (Jan. 31).
• Four of UCLA's next five games will be played at home, with the lone road contest to be played at Oregon (Jan. 28).
• UCLA has 12 games remaining on the regular-season schedule – including six at home and six on the road.
• UCLA has just three more regular-season games to play outside of the Pacific time zone.
• UCLA's remaining schedule in the month of January includes three more games – two at home and one on the road.
MORE ABOUT THE BRUINS
• Tyler Bilodeau has scored in double figures in 14 of 16 games played, totaling 20 points or more in seven games.
• Donovan Dent (12.9 ppg) leads UCLA with 123 assists, averaging 6.8 assists per game (ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten).
• Skyy Clark was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Monday, Dec. 22, for the first time in his career.
• Skyy Clark (89.3%), Tyler Bilodeau (86.5%) and Trent Perry (81.4%) are shooting over 80 percent at the free throw line.
• Trent Perry has scored at least 10 points in six of UCLA's last eight games.
• The Bruins have gone 10-2 this season when committing fewer turnovers than their opposition.
• UCLA has posted a 11-1 record when leading at halftime and has gone 12-1 when building a lead of 10 or more points.
• UCLA has shot 37.3% from 3-point distance, which ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten (through Wednesday, Jan. 21).
• The Bruins have not shot 37.0% or better since the 2020-21 season (UCLA shot 37.2 percent from three that year).
• The Bruins are currently shooting 76.0 percent at the free throw stripe, ranking No. 7 in the Big Ten.
• The school single-season record for best free throw percentage is 75.6 percent, back in the 1978-79 season.
ASSISTS PER GAME
Through 18 games played, senior Donovan Dent has averaged 12.9 points and 6.8 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 ranked No. 9 in scoring among all Big Ten players (18.2 ppg) and No. 8 in shooting percentage (52.1%), through Wednesday, Jan. 21. 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 on Dec. 3. 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 10 contests, Bilodeau has averaged 20.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 52.1 percent overall. He currently ranks No. 9 in the Big Ten in free throw percentage (86.5%, 77-for-89).
RUNNING THE POINT
Senior Donovan Dent transferred from New Mexico to UCLA in the offseason and has averaged 12.9 points and 6.8 assists through 18 games with the Bruins. Dent has recorded three point-assist double-doubles this season (totaling 10 in his career). Most recently, Dent had 23 points and a season-high 13 assists in UCLA's 69-67 win against Purdue (Jan. 20). Through Wednesday, Jan. 21, he ranked third among all Big Ten players in assists per game (6.8) and was No. 11, nationally. Over UCLA's last 10 contests, Dent has logged 72 assists and 22 turnovers while averaging 13.7 points per game.
REACHING FOR THE SKYY
Senior Skyy Clark has averaged 13.5 points and 2.8 rebounds through 14 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 threes in consecutive contests. Through his last five games on the court for UCLA, Clark has averaged 15.0 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 46.6 percent overall and 45.5 percent from 3-point distance. Entering this weekend's showdown with Northwestern, he leads the team in 3-point percentage (48.6%, does not qualify on the Big Ten's list).
SOPHOMORE JUMP
Sophomore Trent Perry scored a career-best 30 points in UCLA's 71-60 win at Penn State on Jan. 14. Perry was perfect at the free throw line, going 12-for-12, while knocking down 4 of 8 shots from beyond the 3-point arc. He has averaged 11.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game during his sophomore season, after having registered 3.7 points and 1.7 rebounds per game in 32 contests as a freshman. Perry has scored at least 10 points in 10 games for UCLA this season, logging 47 assists and 23 turnovers for an assist-turnover ratio of 2-to-1.
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) were 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 90-15 home record (85.7 win percentage).
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES ON UCLA
• UCLA has gone 5-0 when shooting at least 50 percent from the field this season. The Bruins' season-high 62.7 shooting percentage in a win at home against Presbyterian was the program's best single-game mark since Dec. 10, 2016 (UCLA shot 62.7% in an 102-84 win at home against Michigan, shooting 39-for-58 overall).
• Senior guard Donovan Dent has averaged 6.8 assists per game in 18 contests this season. Since assists were routinely recorded at UCLA, starting in 1973-74, only three student-athletes have logged at least 7.0 assists per game in one season (Pooh Richardson, twice, as well as Lonzo Ball in 2016-17 and Larry Drew II in 2012-13).
• The Bruins' 15-man roster this season includes eight student-athletes who are from the Southern California region. All 15 student-athletes are from the United States. Looking at the eight local players, five are from Los Angeles County and three are from Riverside County (Donovan Dent, Eric Freeny and Anthony Peoples Jr. all went to Corona Centennial HS).
• Through 19 games, the Bruins have logged an assist-turnover ratio of 1.59-to-1 (ranks No. 33, nationally). Last season, UCLA's assist-turnover ratio (1.55-to-1) ranked No. 20 in the nation and was second in the Big Ten. The Bruins concluded the 2024-25 season with an assist-turnover ratio of 1.55, but posted a ratio of 1.81 in their final 15 games.
• Since the start of the 2020-21 season, the Bruins have gone 74-33 in conference play (logging a 69.2 win percentage). UCLA went 13-7 in Big Ten play last season, tied for fourth place in the 18-team league standings.
CONSECUTIVE THREE-POINTERS
UCLA has made at least one 3-pointer in each of its last 83 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.
