UCLA's Top Two Stars Must Step Up in March

After a disappointing exit in the Big Ten Tournament, the UCLA Bruins' star scorers, Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey Jr., must come up big if the Bruins want to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Mar 3, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) dunks the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The No. 7 seed UCLA Bruins (22-10) are gearing up for their first-round matchup of the NCAA Tournament, facing the No. 10 Utah State Aggies (26-7) on Thursday night. If the Bruins want to win, they will require top scorers Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey Jr. to have bounce-back performances.

In UCLA's Big Ten Tournament loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in the quarterfinal last weekend, Bilodeau and Dailey combined for two points on 1-13 shooting. It was by far the worst game of both players' seasons, but their bounce back in the First Round against the Aggies is necessary to win.

UCLA prides itself on its defensive prowess, but to win games in March, scoring is a major key, considering every team in the tournament possesses the highest level of talent. Defense and rebounding will still be high priorities, but the Bruins must have their top scorers to win.

Bilodeau is the team's leading scorer at 13.6 points and was just recently named First Team NABC All-Pacific District Honoree. Dailey averages 11.6 points and has been the most explosive scorer this season, scoring 20 or more points four times and repping a season-high of 25.

Utah State's biggest priority will be to limit both elite players, but it is not likely that they will hold them at bay. Despite the struggles that both had in their most recent contest, Bilodeau has scored in double figures in nine of his 11 games while Dailey had averaged 16.5 points over his last four games.

The Bruins score 74.8 points per game on average, with the two star Bruins giving their squad about 25.2 points per game. That is over a third of UCLA's points, proving that Bilodeau and Dailey will be relied on to deliver key production for a team that does not score a ton of points.

Mick Cronin's group has a chance to do something special in this tournament, with a strong possibility to make it through the first weekend. They must receive healthy performances from both of the Bruin leaders while other contributors make their mark.

The Bruins will tip off on Thursday at 9:25 p.m. ET, 6:25 p.m. PT in Lexington, Kentucky. Coverage of the contest will be presented by TNT.

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