Breaking Down Bruins' Upcoming Opponent: Michigan Wolverines

The UCLA Bruins are seeking a bounce-back win this Tuesday as they will host the Michigan Wolverines at Pauley Pavilion. The Wolverines are atop the Big Ten standings and are a very dangerous team that has already won on the West Coast.

Dec 18, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Michigan Wolverines center Danny Wolf (1) handles the ball against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The No. 22 UCLA Bruins (11-3) are looking to get right after a disappointing road loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-2) last weekend, handing them their first conference loss of the season. They will now prepare for a highly skilled No. 24 Michigan Wolverines (11-3) team that has won three straight.

The Wolverines are coming to Westwood on the second game of their west coast road trip as they beat the USC Trojans (9-5) by 11 points last Saturday. UCLA will hope for a better outcome than what happened to their bitter rival. One thing is certain: this Michigan team cannot be taken lightly.

Contrary to the Bruins' scoring struggles this season, the Wolverines are one of the top teams in the Big Ten at putting up points. They rank fifth in the conference in points per game at 84.1 and have the highest field goal percentage of any Big Ten team this year, shooting at a 51.3% clip.

It has not been much of a cakewalk schedule for Michigan either, already having played three ranked teams with a 2-1 record in those contests. They took down No. 22 Xavier and No. 11 Wisconsin in back-to-back games but then fell to No. 14 Oklahoma a few weeks ago.

Senior transfer center Vladislav Golden is the team's leader in points per game with 13.7 and blocks at 1.9 per game. He was a transfer from Florida Atlantic and came over with first-year head coach Dusty May from the Owls this past offseason.

Golden stands about 7-1 but is not the only dynamic paint presence that the Wolverines possess. Junior transfer center Danny Wolf is having a sensation season, averaging a double-double with 12.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He has been their best player all season long.

If the Bruins want to find a way to win on Tuesday night, they will be forced to play well down low. Sophomore guard Eric Dailey Jr. must be back for this team to help out while the junior forward still recovers from the surgery he had last week for an undisclosed injury.

Michigan also has a pair of junior transfer guards that are averaging double-digit points -- former Auburn Tiger Tre Donaldson and former Ohio State Buckeye Roddy Gayle Jr. Donaldson leads the team in assists per game (3.9) while Gayle leads in steals at 1.1 per game.

This will be one of the toughest challenges for UCLA all season long, counting their ranked matchups earlier this season. The Wolverines have bee ranked inside the top 15 already this season and have the ability to be a conference title contender. The Bruins must respond after last week's loss.

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