Here's What Changed for UCLA Since Buckeyes Loss

After a rough loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes UCLA was not expected to be able to compete against Purdue the game after, as the Boilermakers are a better team in almost every regard.

However, UCLA was able to pull off a 69-67 upset win against the #4 ranked team in the nation, with the team officially bouncing back from their woes against the Buckeyes and giving social media something to root for.

So what challenged the players between the two games and how can the change be kept going into the rest of the season and the March Madness tournament?

What Changed After Ohio State: Xavier Booker

Xavier Booker, UCLA — 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

One of the biggest issues against Ohio State was the team's defense, as even though many Buckeye shooters were having a good night the Bruins were still allowing too many easy shots.

In that game UCLA starting Forward Xavier Booker had two minutes on the court and his impact was incredibly limited to that small amount of time.

However, coach Mick Cronin shifted the lineup against Purdue to allow Booker much more space to work with, giving him a total of 35 minutes on the court.

With that extra time Booker was able to keep the defensive side of the ball on lock down, taking the 86 points UCLA let up against Ohio State and bringing it down to 67 against the Boilermakers.

He was an immense player on defense for UCLA, and if he can continue getting as much time as he did against Purdue, Booker will be able to make games much easier for the Bruins to win.

What Changed After Ohio State: The Bench

UCLA, Mick Croni — Jan 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts toward officials after not getting a foul call 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

Although having a deep roster is great for a team, the Bruins cannot thrive when their bench takes the wheel.

For example, against the Buckeyes the bench had 66 minutes on the court and they lost by 12, compared to 20 minutes against Purdue where they won by two.

The correlation could be a coincidence, but it was clear against that the Boilermakers the starting five were in a groove and needed to be on the court with each other.

Jan 20, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3), guard Trent Perry (0), guard Donovan Dent (2) and forward Xavier Booker (1) celebrate after a 3-point basket by forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) in the final seconds of the game against the Purdue Boilermakers in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

If the bench were to interrupt them for too long then the groove would often start to break up and momentum would start to shift back to Purdue.

Therefore, to keep winning against good teams for the rest of the season, UCLA needs to keep the starting five out and together on the court as much as they can to keep momentum.

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