How to Watch No. 4 Purdue vs. UCLA with TV Info, Key Stats and Preview
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There are no nights off in the Big Ten. Tuesday is another important clash in the conference, as No. 4 Purdue closes out its West Coast trip against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion. Can the Bruins remain undefeated at home, or will the Boilermakers extend their winning streak to 10 games?
This midweek clash should be an entertaining matchup to watch. Here's everything you need to know ahead of Tuesday's game between Purdue and UCLA.
#4 Purdue (17-1, 7-0) vs. UCLA (12-6, 4-3)
- What: Big Ten Conference game
- Date: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026
- Tipoff time: 10 p.m. ET
- Location: Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, Calif. (12,829 capacity)
- TV: Peacock/NBC Sports Network
- App: NBC Sports/Peacock
- Announcers: Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), Nick Bahe (analyst), Kylen Mills (reporter)
- Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — WAZY 96.5 FM (Lafayette); WKJG 100.9 FM (Fort Wayne); WNDE 1260 AM (Indianapolis); WGBF 1280 (Evansville); Sirius XM 85; View all listings: CLICK HERE
- Radio announcers: Rob Blackman (play-by-play), Bobby Riddell (analyst), Wes Scott (producer).
- Live stats: UCLA.StatBroadcast.com
- All-time series: UCLA leads the all-time series vs. Purdue 10-4
- ESPN Matchup Predictor: Purdue has a 63% chance to defeat UCLA
Rankings
Purdue Boilermakers
- Associated Press — Purdue is ranked No. 4
- Coaches — Purdue is ranked No. 4
- KenPom — Purdue is ranked No. 4
- NCAA NET — Purdue is ranked No. 5
UCLA Bruins
- Associated Press — UCLA is not ranked
- Coaches — UCLA is not ranked
- KenPom — UCLA is ranked No. 42
- NCAA NET — UCLA is ranked No. 45
Team Stats
Stats (per game) | #4 Purdue | UCLA |
|---|---|---|
Scoring | 85.1 ppg | 78.2 ppg |
Points allowed | 68.1 ppg | 69.5 ppg |
FG% | 51.3% | 47.4% |
3FG% | 39.2% | 36.8% |
Rebounds | 37.7 rpg | 32.2 rpg |
Assists | 20.7 apg | 15.7 apg |
Steals | 6.0 spg | 7.1 spg |
Blocks | 3.3 bpg | 3.3 bpg |
Turnovers | 9.7 topg | 10.1 topg |
Key Players
Purdue Boilermakers
- Braden Smith, G — Smith is well known for his ability to pass, recently becoming the Big Ten's all-time assist leader. However, he's also been on a scoring tear recently, averaging 21.8 points per game in Purdue's last four contests. He was particularly good in the Boilermakers' win over Penn State on Jan. 10, scoring 26 points and dishing out 14 assists.
- Fletcher Loyer, G — Loyer's three-point percentage has dropped in recent weeks, but he's still considered one of the best shooters in college basketball. He's hitting at a 38.6% clip and is averaging 13.4 points per game. He's been on a bit of a roller coaster over the last seven games, but Loyer is capable of shooting the lights out of the ball at any given moment.
- Trey Kaufman-Renn, F — Kaufman-Renn continues to make a big impact for the Boilermakers in both the scoring and rebounding departments. He struggled in Saturday's win over USC, finishing that game with just five points and three rebounds, but he's still a force in the post. For the year, the senior forward is averaging 12.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest.
- Oscar Cluff, C — Cluff is probably the player who has made the biggest leap for Purdue this season. The Boilers knew he could produce at a high level, but he got off to a bit of a rocky start. But 18 games into the season, Cluff is averaging 12.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He's one of the most efficient offensive players in college basketball and is shooting at a 76.3% clip.
UCLA Bruins
- Tyler Bilodeau, F — Bilodeau is a forward who can score from every level on the floor. He's shooting nearly 52% from the floor and better than 43% from three-point range. At 6-foot-9, he creates a lot of problems for defenders. Bilodeau is coming off a tremendous performance against Ohio State, scoring 30 points and grabbing eight rebounds.
- Donovan Dent, G — Dent was last year's Mountain West Player of the Year at New Mexico before transferring to UCLA. He's a scorer and a passer, averaging 12.4 points and 6.5 assists per game. His ability to facilitate is something the Bruins simply didn't have during the 2024-25 season, and he's helped the team's offense with his ability to create for himself and his teammates.
- Eric Dailey Jr., F — Dailey is a 6-foot-8 wing who can play both the guard and forward spots, depending on what UCLA needs on both ends of the court. He's UCLA's top rebounder at 5.5 boards per game and can provide a punch in the scoring department, though he's been inconsistent this season. Dailey does tend to get into foul trouble, one of the concerns about his game.
- Skyy Clark, G — Clark has not played since a Jan. 3 game against Iowa, but he's trending towards a return in the near future. He's another quality scorer for the Bruins, averaging 13.5 points per game. He has shown the ability to fill up the bucket, scoring 25 in a game against Washington and dropping 30 in a win over Cal Poly.
The Coaches
Matt Painter, Purdue
Painter is in his 21st season at Purdue and his 22nd year overall with the Boilermakers. In that time, he's led the program to five Big Ten regular season championships, two Big Ten Tournament titles, 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, and a trip to the National Championship Game in 2024.
A lot of Purdue's success has come in the last decade, with the Boilers adding four Big Ten championships to their collection since the start of the 2016-17 season. Painter has had four different players win the Big Ten Player of the Year Award five times: JaJuan Johnson (2010), Caleb Swanigan (2017), Zach Edey (2023, 2024), and Braden Smith (2025).
Painter is a Purdue alum, playing under legendary coach Gene Keady from 1989-93. After his playing career ended, he jumped right into coaching, working as an assistant at Washington & Jefferson (Division III) and Barton (Division II) before getting a job at Eastern Illinois (1995 to 1998). Painter then joined former Purdue assistant coach Bruce Weber at Southern Illinois as an assistant from 1998 through 2003. Painter then became head coach of the Salukis for the 2003-04 season.
In 2004, Painter returned to Purdue as the associate head coach alongside Keady before taking over the program for the 2005-06 season. In a win over Akron on Nov. 16, 2025, Painter won his 500th career game as a head coach.
- Overall record: 513-221
- Record at Purdue: 488-216
Mick Cronin, UCLA
Cronin is in his seventh season at UCLA and his 23rd year as a head coach. He spent the majority of that time at his alma mater, Cincinnati, coaching the Bearcats from 2006 through 2019.
An Ohio native, Cronin got his coaching start as an assistant at Woodward High School, where he worked from 1991 through 1996. He then got a job on the Cincinnati staff (1996-2001) and later Louisville (2001-03) before getting his first opportunity as a head coach at Murray State in 2003.
Cronin coached the Racers for three seasons, leading the team to an Ohio Valley regular season title and two conference tournament championships, resulting in a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. After his success at Murray State, Cronin was hired to lead the Cincinnati program in 2006.
For 13 seasons, Cronin led the Bearcats, posting a 296-147 record. He won two AAC regular-season titles and a pair of AAC tournament championships, too. Cronin's Cincinnati teams reached the NCAA Tournament nine consecutive years.
Cronin took the job at UCLA in 2019. In his second year, he led the Bruins to a Final Four appearance. UCLA has reached the postseason all but one year under Cronin's guidance.
- Overall record: 515-241
- Record at UCLA: 150-70
Preview
Tuesday night's matchup between Purdue and UCLA is interesting for a number of reasons. Because of the Bruins' trip to Ohio State over the weekend, the Boilermakers have actually been in Los Angeles longer, having made the trip on Friday for a showdown with USC on Saturday. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.
UCLA enters this game 10-0 at Pauley Pavilion, but that comes with a caveat. The Bruins have played just three high-major teams at home this year: Arizona State, Oregon, and Maryland. Those three squads have a combined record of 26-28, which includes a 3-16 mark in conference play.
Purdue has been forced to gut out some wins recently, most notably at home against Iowa and against USC at the Galen Center. Braden Smith has looked like the National Player of the Year over the last two weeks and is getting a lot of help on the inside from Oscar Cluff.
The biggest concern for Purdue? The Boilers have struggled defensively, and UCLA has four different players averaging at least 10.5 points per game. Can Purdue get enough stops to escape Los Angeles with a perfect 2-0 record?
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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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