Impact UCLA's Bilodeau Could Have Had Against UConn

The Bruins headed into their second round March Madness game against the number two-seeded UConn Huskies as the underdog, being the seven seed in their region and playing without their top scorer, Tyler Bilodeau.

They ended up falling flat on their faces despite a valiant effort to upset the Huskies, losing 73-57, and now the team is looking towards a shaky season next year with players leaving.

UCLA, Mick Croni — Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

But things could have been different if he had been able to play on both offense and defense, and in some cases, UCLA might have won.

Why UCLA Could Have Won With Tyler Bilodeau: Offense

UCLA, Tyler Bilodeau — Mar 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) and Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Cale Jacobsen (31) chase a loose ball during the 2nd half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The Bruins struggled mightily against UConn's two big men on the offensive side of the ball, missing far too many layups due to the stature of Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban.

Every player on UCLA was too small to truly compete with the two, and that was what allowed them to get over 30 rebounds on the night, which killed UCLA's chances of scoring enough to keep up with UConn.

This led to the Bruins going on far too many dry streaks that usually would have been broken by Bilodeau, and ultimately led to the team's demise before the sweet 16.

However, if Bilodeau had been on the court, he would have been the pillar the team desperately needed, and the outcome could have been very different compared to what UCLA fans received.

Why UCLA Could Have Won With Tyler Bilodeau: Defense

Throughout the night, the Bruins allowed Karaban to essentially bully them, as he put up 27 total points.

He and Reed Jr. proved to be too much of a threat for UCLA to handle in the paint, and players like Trent Perry were forced to do things they could not do, leading to too many scores.

However, if Bilodeau had been on the court, the Bruins could have had the defensive size they needed to at least contain Karaban and Reed Jr., not to mention their bench, which was on fire.

Furthermore, he could have been huge for the rebounding game, as UCLA had ten fewer rebounds than the Huskies, and no player had more than five boards to his name.

Bilodeau could have been the piece that led UCLA to a bid to the Sweet 16, but he stayed out due to his injury for the third game in a row, and the team lost because of it, among other factors.