With a combined 16 National Championships and 60 conference titles, Indiana and UCLA men’s basketball are titans of the sport. The two programs have historically met 12 times, with the all-time series split at six apiece. Now, for the first time ever, two college basketball gladiators will meet inside a coliseum of legacy.
Indiana (15-10, 6-8 Big Ten) will host UCLA (18-7, 9-5 Big Ten) at 8 p.m. Friday night inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers and Bruins enter the matchup on opposite sides of the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Despite a Quad 1 win against No. 11 Michigan State on the road Tuesday, Indiana was among the “Next Four Out” in ESPN bracketologist Joe Lundardi’s latest projection.
“UCLA is next, they’re playing tremendous basketball,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said following the win Tuesday. “We’re playing them in our gym, on our floor. We just got to come out and put a 40-minute ball game together.”
UCLA recovered from a four-game skid in Big Ten play at the beginning of the calendar year with seven-straight resume-building wins.
Meet the Bruins
Led by sixth-year head coach Mick Cronin, the Bruins’ roster is predicated on its depth. Cronin plays 10 different players at least 10 minutes per game. Junior forward Tyler Bilodeau leads UCLA in scoring with 14.3 points per game.
Sophomore forward Eric Dailey Jr. (11.7 points per game) and sophomore guard Mack Sebastian (10 points per game) are the Bruins’ only other double-digit scorers.
Defensively, UCLA is exceptional at forcing mistakes. The Bruins lead all power conference programs with 16.2 forced turnovers per contest. As a result, UCLA boasts the best scoring defense in the Big Ten and holds its opponents to just 64.6 points per game.
Stout defenses have been commonplace in Cronin’s tenure in Los Angeles — one that includes a pair of Sweet 16 appearances and a trip to the Final Four in 2021. His continued success at the helm of the Bruins has placed him into conversations as a potential candidate for Indiana.
Regardless, both Cronin and Woodson will be focused on the job at hand Friday, leading their respective teams to a Quad 1 win in the closing stages of conference play.
The Bruins will look to bounce back against Indiana after snapping their seven-game win streak with an 83-78 loss to Illinois on Tuesday — an opposite situation from the Cream and Crimson.
Hoosiers looking to build momentum
Indiana’s win over the Spartans concluded a five-game losing streak and marked a potential turning point in an otherwise underwhelming season. After trailing 20-8 midway through the first half, a defensive adjustment to a 2-3 zone fueled the Hoosiers to an upset victory.
“We were just trying to get out of this slide and get a win,” Woodson said. “I thought we had a total team effort tonight from everybody. And the zone helped us, I mean, that was the key factor tonight in this ballgame.”
Michigan State shot 4 for 23 from the 3-point line. Because of its success, Indiana may opt to stay with its uncharacteristic zone defense, even against a better perimeter-shooting UCLA team.
Offensively, the Hoosiers were helped by a second half breakout from junior forward Malik Reneau. After a 1 for 8 performance from the field in the first half, Reneau finished with 19 points — his most since Dec. 6 against Miami University — and a season-high 12 rebounds.
“I can’t say enough about Malik,” Woodson said. “I went to him the other day and told him he wasn’t starting. It probably didn’t sit well with him, but he said, ‘Coach, whatever you need me to do.’ And he came in and played his ass off and that’s all you can ask for.”
Reneau’s consistent production will be crucial for Indiana as it continues its chase for an NCAA Tournament berth.
Indiana has a 42.5% chance of winning, according to ESPN Analytics.
Broadcast information
Friday’s matchup will be nationally broadcast on Fox with Jason Benetti and analyst Robbie Hummel on the call.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa) and columnist Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
