Bruins Must Limit One Key Factor for Indiana's Offense

The UCLA Bruins' big men will have their hands full on Friday night when they take on the Indiana Hoosiers, who are coming off their biggest win of the season. Being able to limit their post players will be a major key to victory.

Michigan State's Szymon Zapala, right, guards Indiana's Oumar Ballo in the post during the second half on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (18-7, 9-5) are looking to bounce back this Friday as they stay on the road to face the Indiana Hoosiers (15-10, 6-8) at Assembly Hall, one of the most hostile environments for opponents in the entire conference. There is one major key to victory for UCLA this weekend.

The Hoosiers just snapped a five-game losing streak with their biggest win of the year, knocking off the No. 11 Michigan State Spartans (19-5, 10-3) earlier this week. They played exceptionally on both sides of the ball, but their biggest strength for their ability to produce in the paint.

Indiana had 38 points in the paint with their top two post players having phenomenal games. Transfer senior center Oumar Ballo and junior forward Malik Reneau combined for 33 points and 22 of the team's 31 rebounds.

Ballo was a former Arizona Wildcat in the Pac-12, transferring to Indiana this past offseason. A few Bruins, along with Coach Mick Cronin, have prior experience with him and should be able to devise a strong game plan to limit his success.

UCLA must tune up its rebounding skills after losing the battle to Illinois, the number on rebounding team in the conference. It allowed 10 offensive boards and 10 second-chance points, which made rebounding a large contributing factor to the loss.

The Hoosiers are ranked fourth in the Big Ten in average rebounds per game (37.2) with 11 offensive boards per game. The Bruins must utilize sophomore center Aday Mara, alongside junior forwards William Kyle III and Tyler Bilodeau, to win the rebound battle and limit second-chance opportunities.

If UCLA is able to keep this team outside and take shots around the perimeter, it will be just fine. Cronin's group plays well enough on the ball and in space while the Hoosiers are the 10th-best shooting team in the conference. Keep them shooting from deep and the Bruins will find a win.

The Bruins are currently in sixth place in the Big Ten standings, just behind the No. 25 Maryland Terrapins (19-6, 9-5). UCLA will need to find a way to pass them to gain a top four spot in the standings, which would earn them a double bye in the upcoming conference tournament.

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