5 Bold Predictions Entering Showdown With Wildcats

Predicting UCLA starter's stats against Northwestern

Jan 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) drives past Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Forecasting how each UCLA starter could play against Northwestern.

UCLA's starters are coming off a very balanced game in their journey to take down No. 4 Purdue. While momentum will be riding on their hip entering this game, they cannot let off the gas pedal, as we have seen UCLA fall victim to upsets throughout this season.

Trent Perry | G

Jan 14, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) reacts after scoring a basket 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

Trent Perry played a decent game against Purdue, while not explosive, he was able to fill Skyy Clark's role to a tee, shooting 3-5 from the arc. While Clark's status for the game is still questionable, we still should see significant Perry minutes in this one.

If this is Perry's last game as a starter before Clark comes back, he will want to make a lasting impression. Northwestern, while not the best team in the Big Ten, should give Perry ample opportunity to do so.

Prediction: 16 PTS, 4 AST, 3 REB

Donovan Dent | G

Dec 3, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) shoots the ball against the Washington Huskies during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Donovan Dent is coming off an absolute masterclass against Purdue, where he scored 23 points on 10-18 shooting, along with an incredible 13 assists. While Dent has proven to be inconsistent this season, all signs point to him following up with another great performance.

Dent was able to put up a jaw-dropping performance against No. 4 Purdue, meaning his numbers across the board could see an uptick vs Northwestern. However, due to this talent gap on paper, Dent will not have to do much, meaning it is unlikely he has back-to-back strong performances. Still, he should be solid.

Prediction: 14 PTS, 8 AST, 3 REB

Eric Dailey Jr | F

Jan 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) reacts after a 3-point basket in the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Eric Dailey Jr has started to string together a few notable performances, which in turn have gotten him close to some of the preseason expectations he came in with. Northwestern is simply not a team that can slow him down, meaning Dailey Jr should have a solid outing here.

Dailey Jr's rebounding has gotten really good over the last couple of games, which is what UCLA desperately needs. Against Purdue, he was able to grab seven boards while scoring 12 points on 6-11 shooting. Mentioned earlier, Northwestern should not inhibit him in a significant way.

Prediction: 15 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST

Tyler Bilodeau | F

Jan 3, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) is defended by Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cooper Koch (8) during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Entering the matchup, Tyler Bildoeau is UCLA's leading scorer, averaging 18.2 points per game this season. Not much should change against Northwestern, especially since Bilodeau is entering this game off a game-winning shot against Purdue. Momentum is on his side.

There are a few games that Bilodeau knows he can take over completely, and Northwestern falls on that list. If Bilodeau is able to play his brand of basketball, UCLA should be able to win this game by halftime. While Bilodeau will be needed in this one, it could be anyone's night for UCLA.

Prediction: 21 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST

Xavier Booker | F

Jan 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Xavier Booker (1) is defended by Purdue Boilermakers guard Gicarri Harris (24) and center Daniel Jacobsen (12) as he drives to the basket in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Xavier Booker, after not playing much for the past month or so, was able to find consistent minutes against Purdue. His performance was not groundbreaking by any means, as he only had nine points and four rebounds. Booker did, however, show improvements that we have not seen in the past.

Against Northwestern we most likley wont see an uptick in production, however there is still a chance we see more rebounding from Booker. If he is able to improve in that regard like he did defensively UCLA will be one step closer to having a balance roster.

Prediction: 7 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST

Jan 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts toward officials after not getting a foul call in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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