The No. 6-seed UCLA Bruins are gearing up to face No. 14-seed Rutgers in the third round of the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center in Chicago. The game is scheduled for Thursday evening. Rutgers advanced by defeating Minnesota, 72-67, in the second round.
Bruins Aim to Continue Strong Finish
UCLA enters the tournament having won four of their last five games. They finished the regular season tied with Purdue for sixth place in the Big Ten standings. The Bruins’ last appearance at the United Center was in December 2018 against Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic. Should UCLA win on Thursday, they would progress to the quarterfinal round to face No. 3-seed Michigan State on Friday night.
Thursday’s game is scheduled to begin approximately 25 minutes after the prior contest. The Big Ten Network will televise each of the Big Ten Tournament games on Thursday. Radio coverage will be available on AM 790 (KABC) in the Los Angeles region.
Game Day Details
The game will be held at the United Center, which has a capacity of 20,917. The anticipated game time is 6 p.m. PT (8 p.m. CT). Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Robbie Hummel (analyst), and Andy Katz (sideline) will be on the Big Ten Network broadcast team. The UCLA Audio Network broadcast will feature Josh Lewin (play-by-play) and Tracy Murray (analyst). The game will also be available on SiriusXM Channels 84 and on the SiriusXM App.
UCLA’s Recent Form and Stats
The Bruins have secured 21 or more wins for the fifth time in seven seasons under head coach Mick Cronin. UCLA tied Purdue for sixth place in the Big Ten, earning the No. 6 seed in the Big Ten Tournament via tiebreak. The Bruins concluded the regular season with a 13-7 record in Big Ten play for the second consecutive season. UCLA went 17-1 at home this season but posted a 4-9 record in road and neutral-site games.
- UCLA has gone 12-0 in Big Ten play over the past two seasons against Oregon, Washington and USC.
- Through games played Monday night, UCLA ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage (38.2%, behind Purdue).
- UCLA’s assist-turnover ratio (1.79-to-1) as a team ranked No. 4 in the Big Ten, through Monday, March 9.
Individual Achievements
Tyler Bilodeau has earned third-team All-Big Ten Conference honours for the second straight season. Bilodeau has reached double figures in scoring in 26 of 29 games played, including nine games with 20 or more points. Donovan Dent has recorded 10 or more assists in eight games.
UCLA’s game on Thursday marks their first at the United Center since December 2018.