When UCLA heads to Columbus to take on Ohio State this Saturday, depth could be the deciding factor. Both squads are dealing with key absences, and how each team handles those gaps might swing the outcome in a game that already carries serious Big Ten weight.
Let’s start with the Bruins. UCLA (12-5, 4-2 Big Ten) has been without Skyy Clark, their second-leading scorer, since he pulled up with a hamstring injury against Iowa back on January 3.
Clark’s absence is no small thing - the sophomore guard has been averaging 13.5 points and 2.8 boards a night while shooting a blistering 48.6% from beyond the arc. That kind of perimeter efficiency doesn’t grow on trees.
He’s missed the last three games, and while there was a glimmer of hope when he was seen on the court before Wednesday’s game at Penn State, head coach Mick Cronin made it clear not to expect a return just yet.
“I’d put him on the doubtful list,” Cronin said. “But he looked good in the shootaround.”
In the meantime, freshman guard Trent Perry stepped up in a big way, dropping a career-high 30 points in the 71-60 win over Penn State - a performance that not only filled the scoring void but also showed just how deep this UCLA backcourt can go. Perry’s previous best was 17, so this wasn’t just a solid night - it was a breakout.
But it wasn’t just Clark missing in Happy Valley. The Bruins were also dealing with a wave of illness that left multiple players sidelined. Cronin didn’t mince words about the challenge of fielding a competitive lineup under those circumstances.
“You’ve got to push through,” he said. “You’ve got to get five guys out there and find a way to win the game.
I mean, it’s tough. Especially in this era because you’re not going to be that deep because of the portal.”
That’s a telling comment. In today’s college basketball landscape, where the transfer portal reshapes rosters annually, true depth is harder to come by. So when illness and injury hit, it’s not just about plugging in the next man up - it’s about recalibrating on the fly.
Ohio State (11-5, 3-3 Big Ten) is facing its own health concerns. Starting center Christoph Tilly exited Sunday’s 81-74 loss at Washington with a head injury midway through the second half, and his status for Saturday is still up in the air. Tilly has been a steady presence in the paint, averaging 12.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
“Hopeful, I think, is the best way to describe it,” Buckeyes head coach Jake Diebler said. “No determination yet as far as status on Saturday.
Him and a couple of other guys, we tried to give them as much rest as we could this week. We’ll see.”
Complicating matters further, forward Brandon Noel remains sidelined indefinitely with a foot injury he suffered on January 5. That’s left the Buckeyes scrambling for frontcourt options, and on Sunday, Diebler turned to freshman Amare Bynum to hold down the center spot late in the game. Bynum responded with 20 points - an impressive showing considering he was learning the playbook on the fly.
“I had to learn plays on the fly,” Bynum admitted.
That’s where we’re at heading into Saturday - two teams with legitimate Big Ten aspirations, both leaning heavily on their bench and young talent to weather a stretch of adversity. UCLA’s backcourt has shown it can survive without Clark, at least for now, while Ohio State’s frontcourt depth is being tested in real time.
In a conference where every game feels like a grind, this one could come down to which team gets more from its Plan B.