Crosstown Los Angeles rivals close out their inaugural Big Ten Conference slates on Saturday when UCLA hosts Southern California.
UCLA (21-9, 12-7 Big Ten) looks to head into next week’s Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis on a winning streak after enduring a furious rally at Northwestern on Monday. The Bruins saw a 14-point lead whittled to one point in less than three minutes before a combination of free-throw shooting and William Kyle III’s critical steal secured the 73-69 win.
Head coach Mick Cronin said at his media availability on Thursday that he was pleased with the team’s response to Northwestern’s comeback and sees it as a building block ahead of the postseason.
“Our competitive desire matched what I’m asking (from) the guys,” Cronin said. “Pat Riley used to say, ‘What happens when the ball’s on the floor decides who wins.’ He’s a pretty smart coach, so I believe in that.”
UCLA has thrived keeping opponents off the glass — the Bruins’ per-game yield of 31.1 rebounds ranks 18th nationally through games played Thursday — and forcing turnovers. UCLA generates 15.1 takeaways per game (12th-best nationally).
The Bruins seek back-to-back wins for the first time since their seven-game winning streak ended in a Feb. 11 loss at Illinois. They are also looking to sweep rival USC, which comes into Saturday’s contest aiming to lock up a berth in the Big Ten Tournament.
The Trojans (15-15, 7-12), ended a five-game tailspin on Wednesday, routing Washington, 92-61. The win has them locked in a five-way tie with Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern and Rutgers, and a game ahead of Iowa following the Hawkeyes’ loss to Michigan State on Thursday.
The bottom three teams in the league miss the conference tournament, with Penn State and Washington already out of the mix.
“We have one more game to play, and hopefully we’re still alive,” first-year USC coach Eric Musselman said. “I compliment this team for giving their all, because I think they have. Has it been perfect? No, not by any means. We know we want to grow next year.”
The Trojans hope to build for 2025-26 around freshman Wesley Yates III, whose 13.6 points per game trail only junior Desmond Claude’s 15.8 for the team lead. Yates scored 19 points the last time USC and UCLA met in an 82-76 Bruins win on Jan. 27.
Eric Dailey Jr., one of two Bruins scoring in double-figures along with Tyler Bilodeau, had 16 points at USC. Aday Mara recorded his first career-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, a milestone the 7-foot-3 sophomore matched at Northwestern with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
–Field Level Media
