Jan 14, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin gestures to his players from the bench during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Hoosiers Have Trio That Could Derail UCLA’s Season

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI
By Andrew L. Ferguson Jr | Last updated Jan 31, 2026 12:00 PM ET

The Bruins despratley need a win against a very hot Indiana team.

A loss to the Hoosiers could end UCLA's season. As it stands, the Bruins are a fringe March Madness team, having yet to play the hard part of their schedule. If UCLA were to lose this game, momentum comes to a standstill. With No. 3 Michigan looming, UCLA needs all the momentum it can get.

Tucker DeVries | F

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In a game that is already projected to be razor-thin, Tucker DeVires offers a skill-set that could be the tipping point. In the last two Indiana matchups against Purdue and Rutgers, DeVires has had 10 rebounds in each. If he continues this against UCLA, this game could be decided.

Eric Dailey Jr will most likley face off against DeVires, as both offer a very similar skillset. DeVires on the season is averaging 14.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, while shooting 39.9% from the field. If Dailey Jr. is able to match DeVries' production, UCLA could be sitting very pretty.

Lamar Wilkerson | G

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Lamar Wilkerson has been lights out for the Hoosiers this season. While UCLA has guards who can match his production, it still might not be enough if he is on his game. This season Wilkerson is averaging 19.4 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 45.5% from the field.

UCLA is entering this game without Skyy Clark, which in turn means that the Bruins have relied on Trent Perry and Donovan Dent to play 35-plus minutes a game. While this might not effect the Bruins offensivley, it could be a factor defensivley if the fatigue become to much.

Nick Dorn | G

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Nick Dorn has been very up and down this season, to say the least. However, in his last three games, he is averaging 18.3 points per game, while shooting a crisp 49.4% from three. With how UCLA's defense has evolved, we can expect the Hooisers to be aggressive from the arc.

If Dorn gets hot, the Bruins could be in real bad shape. Without Skyy Clark, there are not many players rostered besides Bilodeau who can go three-for-three with Dorn on UCLA. With that being said, it will be imperative for the Bruins to slow down Dorn. Standing at 6'7, UCLA will have to use some of its bench talent to deal with Dorn.

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The Bruins have a real chance to mess things up in this game. If they can properly address the players on this list, they could walk out of Pauley with a win. Only time will tell.

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