UCLA Insider Podcast Previews UCLA, No. 2 Michigan

Here is everything you need to know before UCLA tips off against the No.2 Michigan Wolverines.

In today's episode, we will be looking at UCLA's matchup against Michigan. The Wolverines have been absolutely phenomenal this season. This will mean that UCLA needs to shed past issues that have plagued them this season. If they can do so, a win is not that far off.

Watch Today's Episode Below

This season, the Bruins are averaging 78.8 points per game, which ranks them 137th in the country. Defensively, the Bruins are also giving up 69.8 points per game, not exactly where they want to be. A driving factor in this has been their bad rebounding at 32.9 per game, which ranks them 398th in the country

Michigan, on the other hand, has been excellent. This season, they are scoring 90.8 points per game, which ranks them 9th in the nation. They are doing this while averaging 19.4 assists per game. defensively they are also giving up 68.8 points per game.

Feb 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin gestures in second half against the Washington Huskies at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

From the stats mentioned above, it is clear that UCLA has a lot of work to do to improve its offense and rebounding. However, if the Bruins rebound well, offensively, the Bruins should be ok. This will need to be a team effort if there is any chance of keeping this game close.

The Path to Victory

If UCLA hopes to win this game, they need to be able to cut down on its mistakes. Fouls and turnovers cannot dictate how this game goes. Michigan has been excellent at making teams pay for their mistakes all season long. This needs to be a clean game for the Bruins

UCLA's big game players also need to get involved in a big way. Donovan Dent and Tyler Bilodeau both need to play some of their best basketball of the season. Sub 20 points from either of them simply will not get the job done.

If Skyy Clark makes his way back in this one, he needs to play good minutes as well. If he can shoot at least 50% from three or the field, the Bruins have a great chance of keeping this game competitive. With Clark most likely coming off the bench, his minutes cannot hurt the Bruins

This will be a very difficult game for UCLA. However, this will be the biggest test of their season, and if they can pass it, making a deep run in the tournament does not look so scary.

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