The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team is set to face No. 10 Michigan State at the Breslin Center on Tuesday, February 17. The game marks the Bruins’ first visit to Michigan State since December 2004. UCLA has won four of its last six meetings against the Spartans, including a close 63-61 victory last season at Pauley Pavilion.
The matchup will be broadcast on Peacock and NBC Sports Network, with John Fanta and Jess Settles providing commentary. Radio coverage will be available through AM 790 (KABC) and SiriusXM channels.
UCLA currently holds a record of 17-8 overall and 9-5 in conference play, having won five of its last eight games. The team recently lost to No. 2 Michigan, falling 86-56 after being outscored by a wide margin in the second half. Trent Perry led the Bruins with 14 points in that game, while Tyler Bilodeau and Donovan Dent each contributed 10 points.
Tyler Bilodeau has been a consistent performer for UCLA, scoring at least ten points in each of the team’s last eighteen games and leading the Big Ten in three-point shooting percentage at 45.2%. He also ranks eighth in overall field goal percentage within the conference. Over the past five games, both Bilodeau and Perry have averaged 16.8 points per contest.
Donovan Dent has been effective as a playmaker, averaging seven assists per game this season with a total of 168 assists over 24 games. He became the first UCLA player to record point-assist double-doubles in three consecutive games since assists were routinely tracked beginning in the late 1970s.
UCLA’s home performance has been strong this season with a record of 14-1 at Pauley Pavilion. Single-game tickets remain available for their final three regular-season home matchups against Illinois (February 21), USC (February 24), and Nebraska (March 3). Fans can find ticket information on UCLA’s athletics website or contact the ticket office directly by phone or email.
In terms of upcoming competition, three of UCLA’s remaining six opponents are ranked within the AP poll’s top ten teams. After facing Michigan State, UCLA will host No. 8 Illinois before playing rival USC later this month.
Historically, under head coach Mick Cronin, UCLA has posted notable records in close contests and when forcing turnovers from opponents. Since Cronin took over prior to the 2019-20 season, his teams have gone 41-25 in games decided by five points or fewer and have had success when forcing at least fifteen turnovers from their opposition.
Pauley Pavilion is marking its sixtieth season as home to Bruins basketball this year; since its renovation completed in November 2012, it continues to serve as a key venue for UCLA’s athletic events.
Senior Skyy Clark returned from injury during last Saturday’s game against Michigan after missing ten contests due to a hamstring strain. Clark leads the team in three-point shooting accuracy at nearly fifty percent for attempts beyond the arc.
Defensively, recent seasons have seen several Bruins receive individual honors for their efforts on that end of the court—including Kobe Johnson making last year’s Big Ten All-Defensive Team and Adem Bona being named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year two seasons ago.
UCLA enters Tuesday’s contest looking to improve its road record and continue building momentum ahead of postseason play.
