Men's Basketball Prepares to Face UConn on Sunday

Sunday, March 22

Philadelphia, PA

5:45 PM (PT)

UCLA

UConn

Trent Perry

Photo by: Jan Kim Lim

Men's Basketball Prepares to Face UConn on Sunday

March 21, 2026 | Men's Basketball

UCLA's Notes (PDF)Media Center UCLA's Season Stats (PDF)

PHILADELPHIA – The No. 7-seed Bruins (24-11) are back in action this Sunday, taking on No. 2-seed UConn (30-5) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, hosted at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Game time is set for 5:45 p.m. PT (8:45 p.m. ET). The winner of this Sunday's game will advance into the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C., next week.

This marks UCLA's fifth appearance at the NCAA Tournament in the last six seasons. Stretching back to the Bruins' 2012-13 season, this is UCLA's 10th trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last 14 seasons. Since UCLA head coach Mick Cronin arrived in Westwood in the spring of 2019, UCLA has gone 5-0 in its first game of the NCAA Tournament (appearances in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 and 2026).

SUNDAY'S GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Xfinity Mobile Arena (capacity: 20,478)
Sunday's Game Time: 5:45 p.m. PT (8:45 p.m. ET)
Broadcast Network: TNT
Broadcast Talent: Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Steve Lappas (analyst), Evan Washburn (sideline)
Radio (UCLA Audio Network): AM 790 (KABC)
Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
Sirius XM Channels: SiriusXM 204 or 211 and on the SiriusXM App
Live Stats: ucla.statbroadcast.com (link here)

MOST RECENTLY, AS A TEAM
• The Bruins have won seven of their last nine games, heading into this Sunday evening's contest against UConn.
• UCLA outlasted No. 10-seed UCF, 75-71, in a first-round matchup on Friday night in Philadelphia.
• UCLA led by as many as 14 points in the second half of the win over UCF on Friday evening.
• UCLA has won 22 or more games for the fifth time in seven seasons under head coach Mick Cronin.
• The Bruins have gone 5-0 in their first game of the NCAA Tournament under head coach Mick Cronin.
• The Bruins concluded the regular season with a 13-7 record in Big Ten play for the second consecutive season.
• The Bruins logged a 17-1 home record and compiled a 7-10 mark in road and neutral-site games.
• UCLA has posted a 10-4 record through nine games in February and March (4-3 in February, and 5-1 in March).
• The Bruins rank No. 1 in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting and No. 6 in free throw percentage.
• UCLA's assist-turnover ratio (1.83-to-1) as a team ranked No. 4 in the Big Ten.

INDIVIDUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Eric Dailey Jr. led UCLA with 20 points (including eight of the Bruins' first 10 points) in the win on Friday night.
• For the second straight season, Tyler Bilodeau has earned third-team All-Big Ten Conference acclaim.
• Bilodeau has scored in double figures in 27 of 31 games played, including 10 games with 20 or more points.
• Donovan Dent has registered 10 or more assists in 10 games (and in four of the Bruins' last nine contests).
• Dent ranked No. 4 in the nation (third in the Big Ten) in assists per game (7.7) through Tuesday, March 17.
• Through the last nine games, Dent has totaled 83 assists and six turnovers, averaging 13.7 points in that span.
• Through Tuesday, March 17, Tyler Bilodeau led all Big Ten players in 3-point percentage (46.4%, 64-for-138).
• Trent Perry has averaged 14.3 points and 3.5 rebounds, shooting 42.1 percent in the Bruins' last 15 contests.
• Eric Dailey Jr. (11.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg) has scored 10 or more points in eight of UCLA's last nine games.
• Five Bruins have averaged at least 11 points per game this season, led by senior Tyler Bilodeau (17.6 ppg).

NCAA TOURNAMENT AT A GLANCE
• The Bruins have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 16 of the last 22 seasons (no tournament took place in 2020).
• Under Coach Cronin, the Bruins have gone 11-4 in five trips to the NCAA Tournament (no tournament in 2020).
• Last season, UCLA defeated No. 10-seed Utah State (72-47) and lost to No. 2-seed Tennessee (67-58).
• UCLA last advanced to the tournament's "Sweet 16" in March 2023 as a No. 2 seed in the West Region.
• The Bruins last played at Xfinity Mobile Arena against Villanova on Dec. 9, 2023 (UCLA lost, 65-56).

EYEING UCLA'S OPPOSITION
• This Sunday's showdown in Philadelphia will mark the second-ever meeting between UCLA and UConn.
• UCLA defeated UConn, 102-96, at Oakland Arena (in Oakland) on March 25, 1995, in an Elite Eight contest.
• UConn has gone 30-5 overall this season, posting a 17-3 record in the Big East Conference.
• Bruins' head coach Mick Cronin has registered an all-time record of 15-11 against UConn (all while at Cincinnati).
• UConn advanced into the tournament's second round with an 82-71 win over No. 15-seed Furman on Friday.

THANKS FOR THE ASSIST
• Donovan Dent ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten and No. 4, nationally, with 7.5 assists per game (through Friday, March 20).
• Dent (12 pts, 10 rebs, 12 assists) recorded the fifth double-double on record at UCLA last Friday against Rutgers.
• Dent's 15 assists against Illinois and Minnesota stand one shy of Earl Watson's record (16, on March 18, 2000).
• Dent currently is tied for the No. 2 spot, with 256 assists, on UCLA's single-season assists record list.
• Over UCLA's last 15 games, Dent has averaged 13.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game.

VERSUS RANKED FOES
UCLA has gone 4-6 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).

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.

UCLA'S NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Bruins' program is making its 54th appearance at the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. UCLA has won 11 NCAA championships (most recently in 1995) 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 117-46. The Bruins have posted a 57-29 record and have secured 17 trips to the tournament's Sweet 16 since the field expanded to include 64 teams in 1985.
OF NOTE: UCLA's 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.

THE OPENING WEEKEND
Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to include at least 64 teams in 1985, the Bruins have played 53 games during the opening week/weekend (first/second round contests). UCLA has gone 42-11 in those 53 games, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 17 tournaments. The Bruins have gone 24-6 in the first round (this doesn't include any First Four contests). The Bruins lost in the First Four in 2018 and won a First Four matchup in 2021. Most recently, UCLA went 1-1 during the tournament's opening week last season (2025, in Lexington, Ky.). The Bruins defeated 10-seed Utah State and lost to 2-seed Tennessee.

COACH CRONIN, MARCH MADNESS
In seven seasons as UCLA's head coach, Mick Cronin has guided the Bruins to five NCAA Tournaments. At the conclusion of his first season (2019-20), the NCAA Tournament was canceled as UCLA had compiled a 19-12 record heading into the Pac-12 Tournament as the No. 2-seeded team. Coach Cronin's teams have gone 11-4 in five NCAA Tournament appearances at UCLA, with one Final Four appearance (2021) and three Sweet 16 berths (2021, 2022 and 2023). UCLA's NCAA Tournament run in 2021 took place in Indianapolis, with the Bruins advancing from the First Four to the Final Four.

THE 2025-26 BRUINS
UCLA's 15-man roster includes seven players who have competed at the NCAA Tournament in previous seasons, with Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark, Eric Dailey Jr., Trent Perry and Jack Seidler having seen action in last year's tournamnet (at Kentucky's Rupp Arena). Xavier Booker (previously at Michigan State) and Donovan Dent (previously at New Mexico) competed in the NCAA Tournament prior to transferring into UCLA. Last season, Skyy Clark shot 8-for-15 from 3-point distance (53.3) in games against Utah State (win, 72-47) and Tennesse (loss, 67-58) in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

AGAINST THE TOURNAMENT FIELD
The Bruins have compiled a 4-8 record against 10 teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Looking at the breakdown of teams within the Big Ten Conference, UCLA went 4-6 – that includes Iowa (0-1), Illinois (1-0), Michigan (0-1), Michigan State (1-1), Nebraska (1-0), Ohio State (0-1), Purdue (1-1), Wisconsin (0-1). Non-conference opponents headed to the Big Dance, who UCLA faced, include Arizona (0-1) and Gonzaga (0-1). Of the teams that UCLA faced this season, Arizona (32-2) and Michigan (31-3) earned the highest seeds in the year's tournament field (No. 1 seeds).

BIG TEN CONFERENCE PROGRAMS
UCLA is one of nine programs from the 18-team Big Ten Conference to have advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Joining the No. 7-seed Bruins are No. 1-seed Michigan (31-3), No. 2-seed Purdue (27-8), No. 3-seed Illinois (24-8), No. 3-seed Michigan State (25-7), No. 4-seed Nebraska (26-6), No. 5-seed Wisconsin (24-10), No. 8-seed Ohio State (21-12) and No. 9-seed Iowa (21-12). Should UCLA advance, the earliest in which the Bruins could face a Big Ten team would be in the Sweet 16 (Michigan State). Both Michigan State and Ohio State joined UCLA in the bracket's East Region.

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT WINNER
Purdue defeated Michigan, 80-72, to capture the Big Ten Tournament title on Sunday, March 15. Purdued defeated UCLA, 73-66, in the semifinals on the afternoon of Saturday, March 14, to move into this year's tournament championship game. The Boilermakers knocked off Northwestern and Nebraska on consecutive days to move into the semifinal showdown against UCLA last weekend.

GLANCING AT THE EAST REGION
UCLA has faced two of the other 15 teams in this year's East Region – No. 3-seed Michigan State and No. 8-seed Ohio State. The Bruins went 1-1 against Michigan State, losing to the Spartans in mid-February (road game on Tuesday, Feb. 17) before taking down Michigan State last week (88-84) at the Big Ten Tournament. UCLA lost to Ohio State in a road contest, 86-74, on Saturday, Jan. 17. UCLA and No. 13-seed Cal Baptist are the only West Coast teams in the East Region.

NOTES ON UCLA VERSUS UCONN
– The Bruins have won the only previous meeting against UConn, recording an 102-96 win under head coach Jim Harrick in the 1995 NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. Toby Bailey had 26 points and Tyus Edney totaled 22 points and 10 assists.

– UCLA's win in 1995 over UConn propelled the Bruins to the Final Four. The Bruins defeated Oklahoma State (74-61) in the national semifinals, before taking down Arkansas (89-78) to secure their 11th all-time NCAA men's basketball title.

– The Bruins shot 36-for-66 in the win against UConn in 1995, making just two of 11 attempts from 3-point distance. UConn outrebounded UCLA by a 45-34 margin in the Elite Eight contest.