With a crucial two-game road swing looming, UCLA first has business to handle at home - and it comes in the form of a dangerous Washington squad making the trip to Pauley Pavilion this Saturday.
The Bruins, sitting at 16-7 overall and 8-4 in Big Ten play, are gearing up for a defining stretch. Next week features back-to-back battles against nationally ranked Michigan and Michigan State - games that could carry significant weight when it comes to UCLA’s NCAA Tournament resume. But before they look ahead, the Bruins need to stay locked in against a Washington team that already gave them all they could handle earlier this season.
Back on Dec. 3, the Huskies pushed UCLA to the brink in Seattle, ultimately falling 82-80 in a thriller that opened conference play for both programs. That narrow loss set the tone for Washington’s uneven Big Ten campaign. Now 12-11 overall and 4-8 in the conference, the Huskies have struggled to find consistency, but they’ve shown they can be dangerous - especially on the road.
Two of Washington’s four Big Ten wins have come away from home, including a convincing 76-62 victory at Northwestern on Jan. 31. That kind of performance is a reminder that this isn’t a team to be overlooked - even as they come off an 84-74 home loss to Iowa on Wednesday.
That loss came with more bad news: standout freshman JJ Mandaquit is likely done for the season due to a foot injury. Mandaquit had been averaging 5.2 points and 3.2 assists per game and was starting to find his rhythm. Huskies head coach Danny Sprinkle didn’t hide his disappointment.
“My heart's broken for that kid,” Sprinkle said. “He’d been playing really well the past month and getting comfortable.”
Washington also had a scare in that Iowa game when Wesley Yates III - one of the Huskies’ top offensive threats at 13.4 points per game - left the floor briefly. Sprinkle said Yates would be evaluated by the training staff ahead of the UCLA matchup.
Meanwhile, the Bruins have been adjusting to life without Skyy Clark, who’s missed the last nine games. Clark had been averaging 13.5 points per contest, and his absence left a scoring void. But freshman Trent Perry has stepped up, now averaging 12.1 points per game, and was one of five Bruins to hit double figures in Tuesday’s dominant 98-66 win over Rutgers.
That win was a statement - and it was led by Tyler Bilodeau, who continued his tear with 19 points. Bilodeau, UCLA’s leading scorer at 18.2 points per game, has now scored at least 18 in four straight outings. He also dropped 21 on the Huskies in their first meeting.
Then there’s Donovan Dent, who’s quietly becoming the engine of this Bruins team. Dent had 17 points and eight assists in the win at Washington, and he’s coming into Saturday’s game riding back-to-back double-doubles. Against Rutgers, he finished with 13 points and 11 assists - a performance that didn’t go unnoticed by head coach Mick Cronin.
“If he wants to have any chance at a pro career, Donovan had to come here and do three things,” Cronin said. “One is to make us win, and two and three are how to make us win - take care of the ball and play harder on defense. If he does those things, then he gives himself a better chance and he's going to make us win.”
UCLA has been nearly unbeatable at home this season, boasting a 13-1 record at Pauley Pavilion. But with a gritty Washington team coming in - and a high-stakes road trip just around the corner - the Bruins can’t afford to look past Saturday. If they want to keep building momentum for March, it starts with taking care of business at home.