Bruins Hit the Road With Big Ten Grind in Full Swing

The UCLA Bruins, winners of nine of their last 11 games, are set to embark on a challenging road trip before closing out the regular season at home. UCLA will face No. 20 Purdue on Friday, followed by a matchup at Northwestern on Monday.

The Bruins will then return to Pauley Pavilion for their final home game against USC on Saturday, March 8.

With the transition to Big Ten play this season, UCLA players are adjusting to the demands of cross-country travel. On Wednesday, junior guard Skyy Clark and sophomore guard Sebastian Mack spoke with the media about the experience and their mindset heading into the critical road stretch.

Clark acknowledged the added challenges of Big Ten travel but said he's embraced the experience.

"The flights are definitely longer,” he said. “But the trips are fun, hanging out with the guys and everything, so it's been cool."

Despite the adjustments, Clark remains locked in on the goal of securing wins, no matter the margin.

"Survive and advance. All you've got to do is come out with the win,” he said. “It's not about winning by double digits. It's not about winning by whatever. As long as you come out with the win, that's all. When you've got an away crowd cheering against you, that's when you really have to stay focused, stay locked in on defense, and do all the little things to get the win."

Clark emphasized his love for the game, saying he’s ready to play any day of the week, as the Bruins’ new Big Ten schedule has demanded.

"Yeah, I just love playing basketball, so, you know, any day,” he explained.

Mack spoke about the significant differences between Pac-12 and Big Ten travel, noting the challenges of switching time zones and early shootarounds.

"It's been a big difference. Time zone change, and sometimes, we have to shoot around at 6 a.m. our time. It's crazy, but it's all in a day's work,” Clark said. “You got to get it done, I guess. … I feel like Pac-12 travel was a lot easier. It was right there pretty much. Big Ten, you’ve got to travel from coast to coast, basically."

Despite the grueling schedule, Mack enjoys playing throughout the week and sees it as an opportunity to catch teams off guard.

"I kind of like every day of the week. I don't know,” he said. “That's just me because I just feel like you might catch somebody any day, like on a Monday. Some people don't want to play on Mondays and stuff.”

As the Bruins prepare for their upcoming matchups, Mack emphasized the importance of focusing on the next opponent.

"Right now we're just focusing on our next game, trying to see what they do best and try to take that away from them," he said.

With the season winding down, UCLA’s performances against Purdue, Northwestern and USC could be pivotal for its standing heading into the Big Ten Tournament.

The Bruins have gained momentum in recent weeks and will look to continue their strong play as they push toward postseason contention.

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