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As UCF prepares for its first trip to the NCAA Basketball Tournament since the 2018-19 season, the Knights know they have a challenge ahead of them.
UCLA was projected to be a contender in the Big Ten when the season began, but struggles on the boards and on defense saw the team finish near the middle of the pack in the conference. Still, the Bruins did enough to find themselves as a No. 7 seed when they face 10th-seed UCF in Philadelphia on Friday.
Here is what you need to know about the Bruins and the game as they take on the Knights:
Record: UCLA is 23-11 (UCF is 21-11)
Latest Line: UCLA by 5.5 points
Coaches: Mick Cronin is 161-75 at UCLA, 526-246 overall (Johnny Dawkins is 189-131 at UCF, 345-246 overall).
Matchup: This is the first meeting between the two programs. … Johnny Dawkins holds a 2-4 overall record against Mick Cronin, who previously coached at Cincinnati. … This is the sixth trip to the NCAA Tournament for UCF, with the Knights holding a 1-5 overall record. … UCLA is making its 54th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the program’s 107-year history. The Bruins have claimed 11 National Championships during that time.
Starting lineup: Tyler Bilodeau (17.6 ppg., 5.6 rpg.), Skyy Clark (11.7 ppg.), Eric Dailey (11.3 ppg., 5.8 rpg.), Donovan Dent (13.5 ppg., 7.6 apg.) and Trent Perry (12.7 ppg.).
Season breakdown: UCLA was picked to finish third in the Big Ten when the season started, but dropped a trio of non-conference games to No. 5 Arizona, California and No. 8 Gonzaga. The Bruins stumbled out of the gate to start the Big Ten schedule with early losses to Iowa, Wisconsin and Ohio State. Back-to-back losses to ranked Michigan and Michigan State were setbacks in the middle of conference play before the team finished the season by winning four of its last five games. The team advanced to the conference tournament semifinals with wins over Rutgers and Michigan State, before losing to Purdue.
Player to watch: When Donovan Dent joined UCLA in the offseason, there were high hopes for the senior point guard. Coming off a standout year at New Mexico, where he was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year after leading the league with an average of 20.4 points per game, expectations were understandably lofty. However, early on, struggles and injuries led to frustration from Cronin and the Bruins’ fanbase. Despite the rocky start, Dent has managed to turn things around, recording 10 games with double-digit points and assists. He left the game against Purdue with a calf strain, but is expected to be back for the NCAA Tournament.
Matchup to watch: Forward Tyler Bilodeau led the Bruins in scoring, averaging 17.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, earning the distinction of being an All-Big Ten selection. While the Bilodeau missed UCLA’s quarterfinal matchup with Purdue with a knee strain, Cronin believes the senior will be ready for the team’s first-round matchup with UCF.
X-factor to watch: This one could come down to the battle of the boards. UCF ranks 103rd in the country in rebounds per game with 37.2, while UCLA ranks 411th overall while averaging 32.3. The Knights are 0-9 this season when outrebounded in a game. To accomplish that, the Bruins will need forwards Eric Dailey Jr., Xavier Booker and Bilodeau to dominate in the paint.
When is the game? 7:25 p.m., Friday
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia
TV: TBS
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: [email protected]. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
Continue reading...
UCLA was projected to be a contender in the Big Ten when the season began, but struggles on the boards and on defense saw the team finish near the middle of the pack in the conference. Still, the Bruins did enough to find themselves as a No. 7 seed when they face 10th-seed UCF in Philadelphia on Friday.
Here is what you need to know about the Bruins and the game as they take on the Knights:
Record: UCLA is 23-11 (UCF is 21-11)
Latest Line: UCLA by 5.5 points
Coaches: Mick Cronin is 161-75 at UCLA, 526-246 overall (Johnny Dawkins is 189-131 at UCF, 345-246 overall).
Matchup: This is the first meeting between the two programs. … Johnny Dawkins holds a 2-4 overall record against Mick Cronin, who previously coached at Cincinnati. … This is the sixth trip to the NCAA Tournament for UCF, with the Knights holding a 1-5 overall record. … UCLA is making its 54th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the program’s 107-year history. The Bruins have claimed 11 National Championships during that time.
Starting lineup: Tyler Bilodeau (17.6 ppg., 5.6 rpg.), Skyy Clark (11.7 ppg.), Eric Dailey (11.3 ppg., 5.8 rpg.), Donovan Dent (13.5 ppg., 7.6 apg.) and Trent Perry (12.7 ppg.).
Season breakdown: UCLA was picked to finish third in the Big Ten when the season started, but dropped a trio of non-conference games to No. 5 Arizona, California and No. 8 Gonzaga. The Bruins stumbled out of the gate to start the Big Ten schedule with early losses to Iowa, Wisconsin and Ohio State. Back-to-back losses to ranked Michigan and Michigan State were setbacks in the middle of conference play before the team finished the season by winning four of its last five games. The team advanced to the conference tournament semifinals with wins over Rutgers and Michigan State, before losing to Purdue.
Player to watch: When Donovan Dent joined UCLA in the offseason, there were high hopes for the senior point guard. Coming off a standout year at New Mexico, where he was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year after leading the league with an average of 20.4 points per game, expectations were understandably lofty. However, early on, struggles and injuries led to frustration from Cronin and the Bruins’ fanbase. Despite the rocky start, Dent has managed to turn things around, recording 10 games with double-digit points and assists. He left the game against Purdue with a calf strain, but is expected to be back for the NCAA Tournament.
Matchup to watch: Forward Tyler Bilodeau led the Bruins in scoring, averaging 17.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, earning the distinction of being an All-Big Ten selection. While the Bilodeau missed UCLA’s quarterfinal matchup with Purdue with a knee strain, Cronin believes the senior will be ready for the team’s first-round matchup with UCF.
X-factor to watch: This one could come down to the battle of the boards. UCF ranks 103rd in the country in rebounds per game with 37.2, while UCLA ranks 411th overall while averaging 32.3. The Knights are 0-9 this season when outrebounded in a game. To accomplish that, the Bruins will need forwards Eric Dailey Jr., Xavier Booker and Bilodeau to dominate in the paint.
When is the game? 7:25 p.m., Friday
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia
TV: TBS
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: [email protected]. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
Continue reading...
