Can Bruins' Top Scorers Take Down No. 9 Spartans?

The UCLA Bruins have a prime opportunity to earn another season-defining win on Tuesday as they host the top team in the Big Ten, No. 9 Michigan State. Can the Bruins' top scorers find a way to earn their fifth ranked win of the season?

Jan 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) celebrates with UCLA Bruins guard Sebastian Mack (12) after making a steal of the ball against the Oregon Ducks during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images | Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (16-6, 7-4) are hours away from another Top-25 opponent as the No. 9 Michigan State Spartans (18-3, 9-1) come to Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday. The Bruins are seeking a sixth-straight win and fifth ranked win of the year and will have to rely on their top scorers to get it done.

The Bruins' bitter rival, USC Trojans, got the best of the Spartans last Saturday, defeating them by 6, just across town. Their three highest scorers by average led the way in a massive upset win, and UCLA will look to adopt a similar recipe to make it back-to-back losses for the Big Ten's top team.

It will be a heavy defensive battle as both teams rank inside the top three in opponent points total per game. For the Bruins to earn a win, they will have to exceed expectations when scoring the basketball to keep up with another one of the conference's strongest defensive teams.

Junior forward Tyler Bilodeau has led the team, averaging 14 points per game, and is one of three Bruins to average double figures. Sophomore guard Eric Dailey Jr. has been a pleasant surprise this year, averaging 12.4 points on a team-high 54.2% shooting from the field.

If Bilodeau and Dailey are on their game and producing at a consistent clip throughout the game, the Bruins will be extremely competitive. The player that may put them over the hump to earn the upset is sophomore guard Sebastian Mack, who will be coming off the bench looking to score.

Mack is averaging just over 20 minutes per game off the bench on 10 points per contest. When he has met his average and scored double figures, the Bruins are 8-3 this season. If he is able to put together a strong performance, it will be tough Michigan State to keep up with all three scorers.

The Spartans are averaging just above 80 points per game offensively, good for seventh-best in the Big Ten. If the Bruins' No. 1 defense in the conference is able to hold them under that total paired with productive showings from their top three scorers, they will earn another upset victory.

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