Can UCLA's Defense Hold Off Illinois' Offense?

The UCLA Bruins are set to take on the Illinois Fighting Illinis on Tuesday. Can the Big Ten's best defensive team stop its best offensive team?

Feb 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward William Kyle III (24), guard Kobe Johnson (0), guard Lazar Stefanovic (10) and guard Skyy Clark (55) on the court after a basket in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins are riding their second-longest winning streak this season after taking down Penn State for their seventh-straight win. As the Bruins look to push their winning ways to eight, they will have the tall task of trying to stop the Big Ten's best offense statistically.

The Illinois Fighting Illinis sit atop the Big Ten in average points per game, averaging 85.2 over the season. However, Illinois is ranked ninth in the Big Ten in terms of its defense, a category that UCLA knows all too well.

The Bruins lead the Big Ten in average points allowed per game, as their defense has been rock steady all season long, especially on the win streak. Limiting its opponents to score 63.9 points per game, UCLA makes it difficult for any team to take them down.

A big factor for the Fighting Illinis has been freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis. Jakucionis leads Illinois in average points per game with 15.6. Unselfishly, Jakucionis also leads his squad in assists per game, painting a big target on his back for the Bruins.

However, Illinois has been on a pendulum in their win/loss category. Illinois has gone 2-2 over its last five contests, following each win with a loss. If that trend were to continue, it should bring smiles to the Bruins' faces, given that the Fighting Illinis won their last game.

That being said, it won't be an easy task for the Bruins to win. Illinois ranks first in the Big Ten and first in the entire NCAA in average rebounds per game, with 45 on average. That is the one area of defense that Illinois beats UCLA in, and the Bruins will need all the rebounding help they can get from their players, given how elite Illinois' offense has been all season.

UCLA will head into the game with Illinois sitting with an 18-6 record and a 9-4 conference record. Illinois holds a 16-8 record and has gone back and forth with success against other Big Ten teams, obtaining an 8-6 conference record. The Bruins sit two games back from the first-place position, currently being fought over by the Purdue Boilermakers and the Michigan State Spartans.

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