5 Things to Know About Purdue's Next Opponent — UCLA Bruins
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No. 5 Purdue ends its West Coast road trip on Tuesday, playing UCLA inside Pauley Pavilion. Although the Bruins are new to the Big Ten, this is a matchup with a unique connection.
John Wooden was an All-American player at Purdue, winning a national championship with the Boilermakers. He then coached the Bruins from 1948 through 1975, leading the program to 10 national titles.
That tie makes for a unique Big Ten game. But enough about history, here are a few things to know about the Bruins before Tuesday's game against the Boilermakers.
Five players averaging 10-plus points
UCLA has a variety of options when it comes to scoring the basketball. Five different players are averaging at least 10.5 points per game, with Tyler Bilodeau leading the way at 18.5 points per game. All five guys are also shooting at a high clip.
Skyy Clark is averaging 13.4 points, Donovan Dent is getting12.4, Trent Perry is scoring 11.2, and Eric Dailey Jr. rounds out that bunch with 10.5 points per contest. They're all shooting 41% or better from the floor, too.
It's difficult to focus on just one or two with this UCLA team because it has so many different weapons. Bilodeau, Clark, and Perry have all hit 30 points in at least one game this year, meaning Purdue's defense is going to have to lock in on every player on the floor.
Dent was Mountain West Player of the Year
Before transferring to UCLA, Dent spent three years at New Mexico, where he had an outstanding career. At the end of the 2024-25 regular season, he was named the Mountain West Player of the Year after averaging 20.4 points. 5.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He was a huge addition to the Bruins' offseason roster.
UCLA doesn't necessarily need Dent to score in every game, but he's been the team's best facilitator on offense, something the Bruins needed from the guard position. He's dishing out 6.5 assists per game this season, providing Cronin's team with something it just didn't have a year ago.
Dent has demonstrated the ability to score at a high level, hitting the 20-point mark in three games this season. He also does a lot of damage distributing the basketball and getting his teammates involved.
Undefeated at home
Pauley Pavilion has been a true home-court advantage for UCLA this season. The Bruins are a perfect 10-0 on their home floor, but there is a caveat to their success thus far.
At this point in the year, UCLA has only played three high-major teams on its home floor: Arizona State, Oregon, and Maryland. Those three teams are a combined 26-28 on the season. Oregon and Maryland are both 1-6 in Big Ten play, and Arizona State sits at 1-4 in the Big 12.
So, UCLA hasn't exactly played the best competition on its home court this season. We'll see how much of an advantage Pauley Pavilion provides the Bruins when the fifth-ranked Boilers come knocking.
Bilodeau is on a tear
Bilodeau has played well all season, but he's particularly good in UCLA's last nine games. The 6-foot-9 forward has had two 30-point performances, scoring 34 in a win over UC-Riverside and dropping in 30 in Saturday's loss to Ohio State. He has hit the 20-point mark five times and is averaging just under 21 points per game in that span.
The senior forward has been almost impossible to stop this season. He's UCLA's most effective scorer, able to get buckets from just about anywhere on the floor. His field goal percentage is just under 52%, and he's hitting the three-point shot at a 43.3% clip. Bilodeau is also one of UCLA's top rebounders at 5.4 boards per contest.
His size, mobility, and ability to score is going to be a challenge for Purdue's bigs on Tuesday night.
Rebounding has been an issue
UCLA has a few quality rebounders in Bilodeau and Dailey, but overall, the Bruins have really struggled in that department. This team is averaging 32.2 rebounds per game this season and ranks 242nd in rebound differential, getting beaten by an average of 0.2 boards per game.
The Bruins are also averaging 10.2 offensive rebounds per game, a mark that ranks 263rd nationally. They're coming off a game against Ohio State in which they were beaten 37-27 on the glass. This should be an area where the Boilermakers have a big advantage.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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