3 Bruins Who Need to Shine vs. No. 4 Purdue

Breaking down three Bruins who need to have a massive game

Jan 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Eric Dailey Jr. (3) soots over Maryland Terrapins guard George Turkson Jr. (11) in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UCLA is in massive need of standout performances against Purdue.

The bottom line is that UCLA needs someone besides Tyler Bilodeau to step up and score high-impact points. While we have seen said performances this season, they have not come at a consistent rate, which has essentially derailed this season.

Donovan Dent | G

Jan 17, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) drives to the basket as Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) defends during the first half at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

This game could prove to mark a clean slate for Donovan Dent if he performs well. However, this is a huge "if", as Dent has struggled this season to get things going consistently. "If" he is able to have a good game, past struggles can be written off. This is easily UCLA's biggest game of the season.

Against Ohio State, we saw Dent look more comfortable taking threes. Looking into this matchup, Dent's shooting needs to be on point; if it is not, serious questions will be raised regarding Dent's role in the lineup.

Eric Dailey Jr | F

Jan 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Eric Dailey Jr. (3) reacts after a dunk on a pass from center Steven Jamerson II (24) in the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Like Dent, Eric Dailey Jr has a massive opportunity to rewrite the narrative surrounding his season. Entering 2025, expectations around Dailey Jr were sky high. Unfortunately, he has really struggled to meet those. While not entirely his fault, he has proven to be an issue at times.

As it stands now Dailey Jr is the Bruins' best rebounder, averaging 5.5 rebounds. While inconsistent at times, Dailey Jr will need to prove why he has earned that title. He has a picture perfect opportunity to do so against Purdue. His impact must be felt.

Trent Perry | G

Jan 17, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) shoots the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes forward Devin Royal (21) defends during the first half at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Trent Perry has been great in the short time he has started for the Bruins. While he did regress against Ohio State, it was expected given how many of his shots fell the game prior against Penn State, where he would drop 30. With Skyy Clark set to return soon, Perry needs to prove why he has earned a starting spot.

There is a chance that Clark gets minutes vs Purdue, while not confirmed the result of that is Perry getting less minutes overall. For Perry this just means he need to do the most with the minutes he actually gets. If he can do so, UCLA will have a steady stream of scoring that will be needed.

Jan 14, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin gestures to his players from the bench during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

UCLA’s season could be hanging by a thread if it fails to make this game competitive. To prevent that, the players on this list cannot make things easy for Purdue. A lot is riding on whether the Bruins can find a way to get a win here.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI to keep up with every story surrounding UCLA athletics! Please let us know your thoughts on this when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Bruins when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW