UCLA Must Limit Buckeyes' Most Dangerous Scorers

The UCLA Bruins are preparing for a bounce-back performance on Sunday afternoon as they welcome the Ohio State Buckeyes to Pauley Pavilion. Despite struggling this season, the Buckeyes possess a pair of elite scorers that could do damage.

Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) dribbles the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats in the second half at Value City Arena on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (19-8, 10-6) are in dire need of a bounce-back win after their upsetting loss to Minnesota earlier this week. They will welcome another bottom-tier Big Ten team to Pauley Pavilion this Sunday afternoon in the Ohio State Buckeyes (15-12, 7-9).

It has been a rough go for the Buckeyes this season, who have lost four out of their last six games, including a current two-game losing streak. They are coming off a brutal 21-point loss to Northwestern where they scored just 49 total points.

Despite the struggles, there is no denying that Ohio State possesses a few of the top scorers in the country, starting with junior guard Bruce Thornton, the lifeline of this team. Averaging a team-high 17.1 points, Thornton ranks eighth in the Big Ten in points per game and is an elite scorer.

UCLA's guards will have their hands full with Thornton as he shoots the ball at a 51.2% clip from the field and an impressive 44.5% from 3-point range while taking four triples per game on average. He is an 82.4% free-throw shooter who will get to the line about five times per game.

The other standout Buckeye that has the potential to wreak havoc is sophomore forward Devin Royal. Despite coming off a four-point performance in that Northwestern loss, he is averaging 13.6. points with a team-high seven rebounds per game.

Royal is an all-over-nothing type of player. In his last six games, he has scored 25 or more points twice while scoring under 10 in the other four contests. He has that big-game ability, scoring 20-plus in five games this season, but the Bruins must have a strong game plan to counter that ability.

Overall, the Buckeyes are a better scoring team than the Bruins this season, averaging 78.8 points, which ranks eighth in the Big Ten. They are also the second-best 3-point shooting team in the conference (37.6%). Thornton will be priority number one when defending the three-ball.

The Bruins had a four-day break with no travel involved and should be ready to go for Sunday. They will almost certainly lock up a spot in the upcoming NCAA Tournament if they were to earn their 20th win of the season. It all starts this weekend in a must-win spot for a hungry UCLA team.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI and @tcav30 and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.