UCLA Emerging as True Big Ten Threat

The UCLA Bruins' first season in the Big Ten has been rather successful as they continue to prove they deserve to be in the conversation for the conference crown.

Feb 14, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lazar Stefanovic (10) shoots the ball while Indiana Hoosiers forward Luke Goode (10) defends in the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins' first season as participants in the Big Ten conference has gone rather well as the team continues to inch closer to the top of the standings. What seemed to be an average season when they hit their four-game skid has turned into prime-time basketball.

After their seven-game winning streak came to an end, the Bruins responded well by taking the next game against the Indiana Hoosiers. The win not only elevated them in the standings but also in the eyes of the public, as the program is starting to enter the same conversation with Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue.

UCLA sits three games back from first place, and by the looks of things, the team has only gotten better as the season has gone on. Erasing the aforementioned losing streak, which tested the toughness of the squad, the Bruins, as a collective unit, have steamrolled their way to the top.

Coming off of the victory over Indiana, three Bruins dropped double-digit points. Of the three, two have been leaders all season long: Tyler Bilodeau and Kobe Johnson. Bilodeau takes care of things on offense for UCLA as Johnson manages the defense.

What has improved greatly this season for UCLA has been the 3-point shooting. 45% of the shots the team took against the Hoosiers hit the bottom of the net. The Bruins shot 47.3% overall.

UCLA will look to apply pressure to the teams that sit ahead of it in the standings as its next matchup is against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Gophers will be in hostile territory as the Bruins head back home.

UCLA has yet to face Minnesota's program this season, but as the two prepare for battle, the climb for victory is a lot steeper on the Gophers' end. With the amount of emotions that Mick Cronin's Bruins have been playing with, the team will only feed off of the energy of the home crowd.

The Purdue Boilermakers are set to take on UCLA before the month concludes, which will be do or die for both programs' hopes to sit atop of the conference. After defeating MSU and Wisconsin, two teams that are ahead in the standings, if the Bruins can knock off Purdue, chances of a first-ever Big Ten championship will become more likely.

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