UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast Breaks Down UCLA's Heartbreaker to Indiana

The Bruins would fall to Indiana 98-97, here is what went wrong.

In today's episode, we will break down what went wrong for UCLA in its heartbreaking loss to Indiana. While it was a close game, there were still some glaring problems that could, and will derail their season. Looking ahead, UCLA will need to play a convincing game vs Rutgers on Tuesday.

Watch Today's Epidsode Below

Two Deciders

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

The Bruins played a very solid first half. They would hold the Hooisers to just 30 points, while scoring 36 of their own. There were plenty of chances for them to really blow this game open, however UCLA's offensive troubles would halt any significant momentum.

UCLA would lose the game in the second half. There is simply no way around it. Indiana's guard Nick Dorn would absolutley thrash UCLA, which in turn would completely unravel the game. He went on a run where he scored 11 of Indiana's points in a row.

UCLA would quickly fall behind by 10 with less than two minutes of play left. This deficit was ultimately a result of UCLA's poor shooting in the second half, where at one point they would go 0-11 from the field for a large portion of the half.

Without this lapse of shooting as well as the defense following the missed shots. UCLA would have been in a great position to really take over this game. However, it was clear that Indiana wanted it more in the second half.

Biggest Issue Exposed

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Jamar Brown (4) beats Indiana Hoosiers forward Reed Bailey (1) to a rebound in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UCLA's depth is a problem. Indiana was able to outplay the Bruins in the second half, with three of its players fouling out. While Tyler Bilodeau did foul out. It was clear that the Bruins simply did not have enough firepower to push them to a win.

Donovan Dent would play 50 minutes in this one, which is a reflection of how thin UCLA is at guard right now. The same goes for Trent Perry, who had to play 42 minutes. Without Skyy Clark, there is no consistent rotation for UCLA. Moving forward, UCLA must figure out how to get bench players to be consistent.

Looking ahead this was a must win game for the Bruins. While they have good chance against Rutgers and Washington, they will have two top 10 opponents back-to-back against Michigan and Michigan State. This loss will hurt when it is time for Selection Sunday.

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