University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Rutgers
Men's Basketball Looks Ahead to Big Ten Tournament in Chicago
March 11, 2026 | Men's Basketball
CHICAGO โ The No. 6-seed Bruins (21-10, 13-7 Big Ten) will compete against No. 14-seed Rutgers (14-18) on Thursday evening in the third round of the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center. Rutgers defeated Minnesota, 72-67, in second-round contest Wednesday night to advance in the tournament.
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UCLA has won four of its last five games, entering the Big Ten Tournament, and closed the regular season in a tie with Purdue for sixth-place in the league standings. This will mark UCLA's first game at the United Center since facing Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic in December of 2018. With a win on Thursday, UCLA would advance to face No. 3-seed Michigan State (25-6) in the quarterfinal round on Friday night.
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UCLA's game on Thursday will begin roughly 25 minutes after the conclusion of the prior contest (Purdue vs. Indiana/Northwestern). Each of the Big Ten Tournament games on Thursday will be televised live by Big Ten Network. UCLA's radio broadcast will be available on AM 790 (KABC) in the greater Los Angeles region.
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GAME INFORMATION
Venue: United Center (capacity: 20,917)
Thursday's Anticipated Game Time: 6 p.m. PT (8 p.m. CT)
Broadcast Network: Big Ten Network
Broadcast Talent: Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Robbie Hummel (analyst), Andy Katz (sideline)
Radio (UCLA Audio Network): AM 790 (KABC)
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
Sirius XM Channels: SiriusXM 84 and on the SiriusXM App
Live Stats: ucla.statbroadcast.com (link here)
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MOST RECENTLY, AS A TEAM
โข The Bruins have won four of their last five games heading into this Thursday night's contest against Rutgers.ย
โข UCLA has won 21 or more games for the fifth time in seven seasons under head coach Mick Cronin.
โข UCLA tied Purdue for sixth place in the Big Ten, securing the No. 6 seed (via tiebreak) in the Big Ten Tournament.
โข The Bruins finished the regular season with a 13-7 record in Big Ten play for the second consecutive season.
โข UCLA has gone 12-0 in Big Ten play over the past two seasons against Oregon, Washington and USC.
โข The Bruins went 17-1 at home this season while compiling a 4-9 record in road and neutral-site games.
โข UCLA has posted a 6-3 record through nine games in February and March (4-3 in February, and 2-0 in March).
โข Through games played Monday night, UCLA ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage (38.2%, behind Purdue).
โข Through games played Monday night, the Bruins ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage defense (1.2%).
โข UCLA's assist-turnover ratio (1.79-to-1) as a team ranked No. 4 in the Big Ten, through Monday, March 9.
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INDIVIDUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
โข For the second straight season, Tyler Bilodeau has earned third-team All-Big Ten Conference acclaim.
โข Bilodeau has scored in double figures in 26 of 29 games played, including nine games with 20 or more points.
โข Donovan Dent has registered 10 or more assists in eight games (and in five of the Bruins' last 10 contests).
โข Dent ranked No. 4 in the nation (third in the Big Ten) in assists per game (7.5) through Tuesday, March 10.
โข Through the last five games, Dent has totaled 53 assists and two turnovers, averaging 15.2 ppg in that span.
โข Dent has totaled 127 assists and 22 turnovers (5.8-to-1 ratio) through the Bruins' last 15 games.
โข Through Tuesday, March 10, Tyler Bilodeau led all Big Ten players in 3-point percentage (46.2%, 60-for-130).
โข Trent Perry has averaged 14.5 points and shot 44.4 percent from the field in UCLA's last 15 contests.
โข Eric Dailey Jr. (11.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg) has scored 10 or more points in 15 of UCLA's last 20 games.
โข Five Bruins have averaged at least 11 points per game this season, led by senior Tyler Bilodeau (18.0 ppg).
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CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS
โข UCLA has won four Pac-12 Tournament titles (in 1987, 2006, 2008 and 2014).
โข Under Coach Cronin, the Bruins have gone 5-5 in five conference tournaments (2020 tournament was canceled).
โข Last season, Wisconsin defeated the Bruins in a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal matchup, 86-70, in Indianapolis.
โข UCLA advanced to the Pac-12 Tournament's title game in 2022 and 2023 (lost to Arizona, each season).
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EYEING THE OPPOSITION
โข The Bruins defeated Rutgers, 98-66, inside Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
โข UCLA has gone 3-2 in the all-time series with Rutgers, including a 1-1 mark in the last two seasons in Big Ten play.
โข The Bruins dropped an 82-59 decision at then-No. 15-ranked Michigan State on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
โข UCLA has gone 8-5 in the all-time series with Michigan State, including a 2-2 record under Coach Mick Cronin.
โข If UCLA wins this Thursday night, the Bruins will advance to face No. 3-seed Michigan State on Friday evening.
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THANKS FOR THE ASSIST
โข Donovan Dent ranks No. 3 in the conference and No. 4, nationally, with 7.5 assists per game (through Tuesday).
โข Dent tallied 10 or more assists in three straight games (Jan. 31-Feb. 7) midway through Big Ten play.
โข Dent's 15 assists against Illinois and Minnesota stand one shy of Earl Watson's record (16, on March 18, 2000).
โข Dent currently ranks No. 5 (with 225 assists) on UCLA's single-season assists record list.
โข Over UCLA's last 15 games, Dent has averaged 14.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game.
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VERSUS RANKED FOES
UCLA has gone 3-5 against top-25 ranked opponents this season (as ranked in the AP poll), including a trio of home victories over top-10 teams. UCLA defeated No. 4 Purdue on Tuesday, Jan. 20, before recording a 95-94 overtime win against No. 10 Illinois on Saturday, Feb. 21, and logging the 20-point win at home on Tuesday, March 3, over No. 9 Nebraska. This marks the first season in which the Bruins have tallied three or more wins at home against top-10 ranked teams. UCLA's 72-52 win over No. 9-ranked Nebraska marked the Bruins' first 20-point win over a top-10 program since taking down No. 10-ranked Arizona in the final home contest of the 2010-11 season (Feb. 26, 2011).
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TWENTY VICTORIES
The Bruins have won 20 or more contests in seven of the past 10 seasons. Stretching back through the decades, UCLA has won 20 or more games in 55 seasons (including 48 times in the last 60 years, 1967 through 2026). The Bruins won at least 20 games in 17 consecutive seasons from 1966-67 through 1982-83. UCLA had an impressive 205-5 overall record during a seven-season stretch from 1966-67 through 1972-73.
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ASSISTS PER GAME
Through 30 games, senior Donovan Dent has averaged 13.6 points and 7.5 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. In fact, Dent could become UCLA's first player to average 10 points and seven or more assists in one season since then-freshman Lonzo Ball registered 14.6 points and 7.6 assists per game in 2016-17. Ball helped guide UCLA to a 31-5 overall record that season and a finish in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.
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FACTS AND FIGURES
โข Tyler Bilodeau entered this week ranking No. 10 in scoring in the Big Ten Conference (18.0 ppg).
โข Bilodeau has scored in double figures in 26 of 29 games played, totaling 20 points or more in nine games.
โข Bilodeau has totaled 967 points in two seasons at UCLA, averaging 15.6 points in 62 games in the Bruins' uniform.
โข Skyy Clark and Eric Dailey Jr. have each reached the 1,000 career point benchmark in the past three weeks.
โข Donovan Dent has totaled 53 assists and just two turnovers in UCLA's last five games.
โข UCLA has posted a 17-3 record when leading at halftime and has gone 18-1 when building a lead of 10 or more points.
โข UCLA ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten among all 18 teams, in 3-point percentage through Monday, March 9 (38.2%).
โข The Bruins have not shot 37.0% or better (from three) since the 2020-21 season (37.2 percent from three, that year).
โข The Bruins are currently shooting 76.3 percent at the free throw stripe, ranking seventh in the Big Ten.
โข The school single-season record for best free throw percentage is 75.6 percent, back in the 1978-79 season.
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GLANCING AT THE METRICS
UCLA has gone 21-10 overall with a 13-7 record in Big Ten play, tying for sixth place with Purdue in the 18-team league standings. Through Tuesday, March 10, the Bruins had registered a record of 9-10 against Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents, while posting a perfect record of 12-0 against Quad 3 and Quad 4 teams. UCLA has played seven games against teams currently ranked among the top 12 in college basketball's NET rankings. The Bruins have gone 3-4 against those programs ranked in the top 12 in the latest NET rankings (wins over 5-Illinois, 10-Purdue and 12-Nebraska, all at home).
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LEADING SCORER
Senior forward Tyler Bilodeau ranked No. 10 in scoring among all Big Ten players (18.0 ppg) and No. 5 in shooting percentage (51.8%), through Monday, March 9. The 6-foot-9 product from Kennewick, Wash., has scored at least 15 points this season in 20 of the Bruins' 31 games (he did not play in two games). Through Monday evening, he continued to lead the Big Ten in 3-point shooting percentage, having made 60 of 130 long-range attempts (46.2%). Bilodeau has averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in UCLA's past 10 games, shooting 50.8 percent from the field in that span.
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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 (12-for-12). Entering this Thursday night's game, he has averaged 12.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game (30 contests) while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from 3-point range. He has scored at least 10 points in 19 games for UCLA, logging 80 assists and 38 turnovers for an assist-turnover ratio of 2.1-to-1. Over the Bruins' last 15 contests, Perry has averaged 14.5 points and 3.5 rebounds (shooting 43.1 percent from 3-point range).
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RUNNING THE POINT
Senior Donovan Dent has averaged 13.6 points, 7.5 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 30 games. Dent, a 6-foot-2 guard from nearby Riverside, Calif., transferred from New Mexico to UCLA in the offseason. He has recorded seven point-assist double-doubles this season (totaling 14 in his career). Since assists were routinely tracked, starting in 1978-79, Dent has become the first UCLA player with three consecutive point-assist double-doubles (UCLA's games versus Indiana, Rutgers and Washington). He ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten in assists per game (7.5) and was fourth, nationally, through Tuesday, March 10.
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NOTES ON PAULEY PAVILION
This marked UCLA's 60th season playing inside Pauley Pavilion and the 14th season since the arena underwent a major renovation. The Bruins went 17-1 at home this season and 15-2 last year (32-3 record through two seasons). The first game in Pauley Pavilion took place on Dec. 3, 1965, as No. 1-ranked UCLA defeated Ohio State, 92-66. UCLA spent 47 seasons in the historic arena before the venue was closed for an 18-month renovation (closed in March of 2011 and under construction until November 2012). 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 November of 2012.
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Since taking over as UCLA's head coach prior to the 2019-20 campaign, Mick Cronin has guided UCLA to a 96-16 home record (logging a win percentage of 85.7 in 112 home contests).
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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES ON UCLA
โข This marks the first season since 2016-17 (Bryce Alford, Isaac Hamilton and TJ Leaf) in which UCLA's team has had at least three players with a 30-point contest. The Bruins have four players this season who have scored at least 30 points or more in one game (Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark, Donovan Dent and Trent Perry). Since at least 1973-74, this year's UCLA team is the only squad with at least four players who have scored 30 or more points in a game.
โข UCLA has gone 8-1 when shooting at least 50 percent. The season-high 62.7 percentage in a win at home against Presbyterian was the program's best single-game mark since Dec. 10, 2016 (62.7%, 102-84 home win, over Michigan).
โข Senior guard Donovan Dent has averaged 7.5 assists per game in 30 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).
โข 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).
โข Since the start of the 2020-21 season, the Bruins have gone 82-37 in conference play (logging a 68.9 win percentage). UCLA went 13-7 in Big Ten action last season (T-4th) and 13-7 this season (T-6th) in the 18-team league standings.
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UCLA'S NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Bruins' program made its 53rd appearance at the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament last March. UCLA has won 11 NCAA championships โ most recently in 1995 โ and has advanced to 19 Final Fours, most recently in 2021. The Bruins have totaled 23 appearances at the Elite Eight (Regional Finals) and 38 trips to the Sweet 16 (Regional Semifinals). UCLA has compiled an all-time tournament record of 116-46. The Bruins have posted a 56-29 record and have secured 17 trips to the tournament's Sweet 16 since the field expanded to include 64 teams in 1985. Of note with the Bruins' program, UCLA had six contests in the 1980 NCAA Tournament and one game in the 1999 NCAA Tournament were later vacated by NCAA action. Those contests and NCAA Tournament appearances are not recognized by the NCAA. The numbers listed above do include those contests and tournament appearances.
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CONSECUTIVE THREE-POINTERS
UCLA has made at least one 3-pointer in each of its last 95 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.
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