Dishing Out Player Grades Following UCLA's Heartbreaker

The Bruins played hard, but it was ultimately not their night

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins react on the bench as the lost to the Indiana Hoosiers in double overtime at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Bruins would lose a heartbreaker to Indiana that could have easily gone their way any other night.

UCLA played a hard fought 50 minute game against the Hooisers. While the result was not what they hoped for. There were still plenty of great performances showcased from the blue and gold in this one.

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) reacts after a three-point basket to tie the game with one second in regulation time against the Indiana Hoosiers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The hero for UCLA was none other than Trent Perry. With 1.1 seconds left in the second half, Perry would hit a three to send the game into overtime. With momentum on the UCLA side, they were still unable to get the job done.

The only reason this performance earns an A is because it was very spotty. A big reason why UCLA could not get things going in this one was due to Perry and other players on this list's terrible shooting late in the second half. His game-tieing shot really helps his grade in this one.

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Nick Dorn (7) defends UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) 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

Donovan Dent played a spectacular game for UCLA in this one. While his shooting number may say otherwise, he was still able to find points on his misses coming from the line. While better shooting would have been nice, still 11 assists and six rebounds are nothing to complain about.

While Dent would foul out on the last play of the game, which led to the Hoosiers win. It was clear without him, UCLA would have not even gotten the chance. He played a staggering 50 minutes in this one, and it really felt like he made the most of it. Great game, but just not enough for a win.

Jan 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) reacts after a dunk 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

Eric Dailey Jr has been one of UCLA's better players in the last few games. However, in this one he really did not do anything special. We knew entering this game that his rebounding would be important. However, it was not enough with just six in 41 minutes of play.

He earns a B+ here because he did shoot the ball well, and was a huge factor in UCLA's ability to keep the game within striking distance in overtime. Still, only six rebounds with that much playing time was a massive reason in UCLA's defensive struggles.

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) is fouled by Indiana Hoosiers forward Tucker DeVries (12) in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

This is by far the most controversial grade on this list. A double-double in a game like this should at least earn an A. However, Tyler Bilodeau really struggled to be the player he was supposed to be in this one. At times, he would go radio-silent, which in turn led to UCLA digging a very deep hole for itself.

Bilodeau would foul out in the first overtime, and it left UCLA without its best scorer. Some of his fouls were offensive which led to a few of UCLA's points being taken off the board, that ulitmatley would have led to a win. With a game this close mistakes like that are simply unacceptable.

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Tucker DeVries (12) and UCLA Bruins forward Xavier Booker (1) go for a rebound in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Entering this game, Xavier Booker was starting to string together a few great performances. However, in this one, it would come crashing down. Reed Bailey was able to dominate Booker in this one, with 24 points on 6-7 shooting. Because of this, Indiana was able to find points at will, from the arc and in the paint.

Like Dailey Jr., Booker logged significant minutes without producing. In 32 minutes, he only recorded two rebounds. If he had a few more in this game, UCLA might have been able to pull out a win here; it was that close. For those reasons, he earns the lowest grade on the list, a C.

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts on the bench in the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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