Recap of Tyler Bilodeau’s First Season as a Bruin

Following the UCLA Bruins' exit from the NCAA Tournament by the Tennessee Volunteers, the Bruins shouldn't have walked out of the arena with their spirits in a rut. Not only did the Bruins find success in their first season as competitors in the Big Ten conference, they fought til the very end against Tennessee.

Making the transfer from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten wasn't easy for UCLA, but the program banded together to earn its spot in the NCAA Tournament. Regardless of the outcome, the Bruins made a strong first impression on the new competition in the Big Ten division.

One of, if not the key contributor to the Bruins roster was junior forward Tyler Bilodeau. Bilodeau came to UCLA after spending his first two seasons with the Oregon State Beavers. In his first year as a Bruin, Bilodeau showcased his worth during the regular season up until the program's exit.

Bilodeau made a strong first impressive to the Bruins fans, collecting a total of 431 points with the program, averaging just below his collegiate career high of 14.3 with 13.5 points scored per game. While UCLA didn't find a ton of success from an offensive standpoint, Bilodeau made sure he made an impact in every game.

UCLA's leading scorer made sure he showed up as well to the NCAA Tournament, collecting 24 points over the two games in the tournament. His 15 points and 50% field goal success rate put him second in the elimination game against Tennessee, just behind junior guard Sebastian Mack.

The Bruins were in a massive need of adding a premier scorer to the starting five, regardless of the improvement sophomore forward Eric Dailey Jr showed over the course of his second season with the program. Not only did Bilodeau provide a strong leadership position on the team, but he made the roster better when he was on the court.

At still 20 years old, it should be interesting to see if Bilodeau will continue his basketball journey under Coach Mick Cronin, or if he decides to take his talents elsewhere following an impressive season.