Tag: Tyler Bilodeau

UCLA tops USC on the road in first Big Ten matchup

The Bruins took the first of two games against the Trojans this season.

The UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans share a long and storied rivalry. In their first meeting in the Big Ten, the Bruins took down the Trojans on the road 82-76, extending their win streak to four. After suffering an ankle injury in the Bruins win over Washington, Tyler Bilodeau was ruled out of Monday night’s contest. In his absence, forward Eric Dailey Jr. and center Aday Mara answered the call.

Dailey Jr. (16) and Mara (12) combined for 28 points and smothered the Trojans defensively. Dailey Jr.’s two steals and Mara’s five blocks held USC’s potent offense to only 49.1% shooting and helped force 10 turnovers.

UCLA’s win showcased the best of the Bruins. Playing a balanced game offensively and defensively, the Bruins put their midseason woes behind them and proved they are as resilient as they are talented.

Riding a four-game win streak in the Big Ten, head coach Mick Cronin and the Bruins test their luck at the Pauley Pavillion against No. 16 Oregon on Thursday night.

UCLA men put away Washington on the road for third straight win

UCLA remained tough on the road despite Washington’s comeback bid.

On the road and under the lights, the UCLA Bruins took down the Washington Huskies 65-60 to improve to 14-6 and 5-4 in the Big Ten. Winners of three straight, the Bruins have snapped back into a rhythm after a tumultuous start to the calendar year.

However, things did not look good for the Bruins early. Forward Tyler Bilodeau left the game briefly with an apparent ankle injury. As the Bruins settled in, their shooting started to heat up.

The Bruins outshot the Huskies from three (52.9% to 22.7%), creating and finishing good looks beyond the arc all night.

Double-digit scoring performances from Eric Dailey Jr., Skyy Clark, Kobe Johnson, and Aday Mara off the bench helped lift the Bruins past the Great Osobor-led Huskies. Osobor finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds.

Down the stretch, as the Huskies tried to mount a late comeback at home, the Bruins held on and finished off Washington with a late three-pointer from Dylan Andrews to bring the lead to 63-57 with 17 seconds left. That was the dagger which sealed the UCLA win after Washington pulled within three points in the final minute.

As head coach Mick Cronin and the Bruins prepare for rival USC on Monday night, all eyes will be on Bilodeau’s availability, given his impact on UCLA’s offense in the paint.

UCLA rebounds against Iowa in strong showing at Pauley Pavilion

The Bruins answered the call against the Hawkeyes at home.

The UCLA Bruins were in desperate need of a win amid a four-game losing skid in the Big Ten. On Friday night, the Bruins answered the call, trouncing the Iowa Hawkeyes 94-70.

In the wall-to-wall dominant performance, the Bruins had a night-and-day turnaround, shooting 62.1% from the floor and 34.8% from three.

The Bruins received double-digit performances from four of their five starters, with guard Eric Dailey Jr. leading the way with 23 points and four assists. Forward Tyler Bilodeau bounced back from his six-point performance against Rutgers, adding 18 points and three rebounds.

Entering Friday night’s game, the Hawkeyes were a vulnerable visiting opponent, winless in all their road games. Mick Cronin and the Bruins took advantage to improve to 3-4 in the Big Ten, showcasing a sense of urgency not seen since the Bruins’ early-season loss to New Mexico.

By winning the turnover and rebounding battle, the Bruins earned their much-needed win on the boards and in their execution.

The Bruins will be tested again on January 21 against No. 24 Wisconsin, with a chance to build momentum at home.

UCLA drops fourth straight Big Ten game, falls to Rutgers

The Bruins dropped another Big Ten matchup as a feeling of resignation sets in.

The UCLA Bruins extended their losing streak to four games. They fell to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 75-68 on Monday night. Now 11-6 and 2-4 in the Big Ten, the Bruins are hovering over the panic button.

Trailing by nine in the late stages of Monday night’s game, the Bruins orchestrated an 8-0 run to bring the score to 63-62 with 2:08 remaining. However, poor transition defense led to a Rutgers three to put the game out of reach.

All eyes were on the Bruins entering the game. Signs of dysfunction became evident after their loss to Maryland. With minimal adjustments made and another poor shooting performance on the road, the Bruins further revealed themselves as a deeply flawed team.

Failing to crack 70 points for the second straight game, UCLA’s problems on offense are becoming more and more apparent.

The Bruins produced 42.4% shooting from the floor and failed to find forward Tyler Bilodeau in finishing lanes. Bilodeau finished with six points on 0-7 shooting from the floor as the Bruins’ starting five scored only 48 points.

A fifth straight loss could deepen the feeling of resignation surrounding this season for the Bruins. They take on 12-4 Iowa at home this Friday.

With no clear fix in sight for UCLA’s woes, serious questions must be posed as to whether head coach Mick Cronin is still fit for the job and whether this roster can compete in the Big Ten.

Mick Cronin and UCLA fail to silence the critics against Maryland

The Bruins lacked composure in Maryland and deserved their third straight loss.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team entered College Park, Maryland, with a chance to silence the doubters after Mick Cronin’s comments earlier this week. But after their 79-61 loss to the Terrapins on Friday night, both the Bruins players and Cronin found themselves under the microscope.

Following a back-and-forth first half, with 5:16 remaining in regulation, the Bruins trailed 60-51.

Forward Tyler Bilodeau, who finished with 18 points and four rebounds, missed a free throw, and an irate Cronin confronted a referee. The brief altercation resulted in Cronin’s ejection and the Bruins’ eventual 18-point loss.

Cronin’s extracurriculars aside, the Bruins played an all-around sloppy game. Turning the ball over 21 times, committing an eye-popping 21 fouls, and shooting only 41.5% from the field, the Bruins left their poise behind in Los Angeles.

The Bruins’ turnovers and a lack of life doomed them from the jump.

Given their third straight loss to a Big Ten opponent, UCLA is coming apart at the seams to start the new year.

The 11-4 Bruins test their luck this Monday as they take on Rutgers, desperately looking to get back into the win column.

UCLA hoops suffers first Big Ten loss, falling to Nebraska on the road

The Bruins leave Lincoln empty-handed.

In a low-scoring affair in Lincoln, the Nebraska Cornhuskers handed the No. 15 UCLA Bruins their first loss in the Big Ten this season, 66-58.

Now 11-3 on the season and 2-1 in the Big Ten, the Bruins’ loss on Saturday afternoon is one they wish they could have back.

Though UCLA finished with a better field goal percentage than the Cornhuskers (38.6 to 32.7), the Bruins’ inability to knock down threes plagued them from the jump.

The Bruins finished 4-28 from three-point range, with UCLA starters Sebastian Mack, Skyy Clark, and Dylan Andrews combining to shoot 0-11 beyond the arc.

Standout forward Tyler Bilodeau tallied 15 points and five rebounds but could not lift the Bruins to victory; foul trouble limited his production.

Sloppy execution on offense led to 15 turnovers and only six offensive rebounds for the Bruins. They struggled to keep pace with Nebraska’s production off the bench. The Huskers were plus-8 in bench points (23-15), and that was the final margin of victory for NU.

The Bruins will return home to Westwood next week as they try to get back in the win column against another Big Ten opponent, Michigan.

UCLA hoops jumps to No. 24 in latest AP college basketball poll

The Bruins land back in the Top 25.

The UCLA Bruins have hit their stride after a shaky start to the college basketball season. Taking down No. 12 Oregon, the Bruins returned to the AP Top 25 ranking this week.

Landing at No. 24 in the AP Poll, just behind San Diego State, Cincinnati, and Big Ten comrade Michigan State, the Bruins are a perfect 7-0 since their sole loss to New Mexico in early November.

After knocking off two Big Ten opponents in a row, first Washington, then Oregon, the Bruins are finally rolling. Entering the season as the No. 22 team in the AP Poll, the Bruins are right around where they started. With Big Ten play to ramp up over the next two months, UCLA has an opportunity to continue to build momentum.

Given the transfer additions of Skyy Clark, Kobe Johnson, and Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA rightfully had high expectations this season. If their newly-added star players can take to Mick Cronin’s coaching, the Bruins should be in the hunt for a long run in the NCAA tournament this spring.

Tyler Bilodeau listed as sleeper of UCLA transfer class

Don’t sleep on Tyler Bilodeau.

What Mick Cronin and the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball program have done in the transfer portal is unfathomable. Yet, they are a consistent team in way-too-early top 25 rankings, and for a lot of reasons.

The Bruins will be under the microscope during and before the season, which is a good thing after a disappointing campaign.

College basketball insider Jon Rothstein mentioned Oregon State transfer Tyler Bilodeau as the sleeper piece of this portal class:

Bilodeau is the sleeper of UCLA’s transfer class.

Armed with good size at 6-9, the former Oregon State forward can stretch the defense from the center spot and is a walking mismatch on offense. He averaged 17.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in the Beavers’ final eight games of last season. Either he or Dailey (9.3 points, 4.8 rebounds) is likely to be in the mix to start at power forward. The versatile Dailey has plenty of similarities of the types of players that Cronin won a massive amount of games with at both Cincinnati and UCLA.

Bilodeau and Oklahoma State transfer Eric Dailey Jr. both came to Westwood around the same time, and there is a chance that Bilodeau could be the sleeper addition of all the players coming in.