GoldandBlack.com Purdue Basketball Game Preview: @ UCLA

LOS ANGELES — No. 4 Purdue looks for an L.A. sweep Tuesday as it visits historic Pauley Pavilion for the first time for a Big Ten game, meeting UCLA

DETAILS: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026 | 10 p.m. ET | TV: Peacock/NBCSN (Ted Robinson, Miles Simon) | Radio: Purdue Radio Network
PURDUE (17-1, 7-0 B1G): ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
UCLA (12-6, 4-3 B1G): ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS

Team	AP	Coaches	NET	KenPom	KenPom Win%
Purdue	4	4	5	4	69%
UCLA	ARV	ARV	43	42	31%

A FEW THINGS ABOUT PURDUE

•  Braden Smith hurt his left knee against USC and expressed concern afterward about it continuing to be sore and stiff moving forward, but his status for UCLA is not in question.

• After nearly leading the Big Ten in scoring last season, Trey Kaufman-Renn is averaging just 11.7 points in Big Ten play this season, though his impact as a rebounder and passer in his new role at forward remain critical. He was just 2-for-8 from the floor at USC, a game that set up for him to have scoring opportunities.

• Smith is 16-of-30 from three-point range in Big Ten play, a league-best 53 percent.

• Where would Purdue be without Oscar Cluff? Perish the thought. He has been the ultimate complementary player to the foundational pieces around him, some nights even more. Cluff was great in non-conference play and there’s no adjustment whatsoever to Big Ten games, in which he’s Purdue’s second-leading scorer, despite just being a situational, opportunistic one, at 13.4 points. He averages seven rebounds, draws fouls, grabs 20 percent of available offensive rebounds and has turned the ball over just three times in 170 minutes. His efficiency analytics per KenPom and EvanMiya.com show him to be the one of the most efficient players in America, if not the most.

ABOUT UCLA

• It’s been a disappointing season for UCLA to this point, as the Bruins appear bound for the bubble and Mick Cronin again is often speaking on his team quite colorfully.

“I offer no excuses,” Cronin said after his team allowed 86 at Ohio State, per the Los Angeles Times. “Blame me. I recruited them, I signed them as free agents. We’re not going to win meaningful games if we can’t stop the other team.”

• The Bruins are coming back from a trip east, winning at Penn State, then getting handled on Saturday at Ohio State. Four of UCLA’s past five games have been played in the traditional Big Ten geographic footprint.

This is absurd: After losing at Wisconsin Jan. 6, UCLA returned to Westwood to play one game — a win over Maryland Jan. 10 — before traveling all the way to Penn State for a game Jan. 14. Now, five of UCLA’s next six are at home.

• Big man Tyler Bilodeau is one of the top players in the Big Ten. The 6-foot-9, 235-pounder is a 43-percent three-point shooter and dangerous mid-range scorer who’s averaging 18-plus-points per game on 52-percent overall shooting. He just scored 30 at Ohio State.

• Prized transfer addition Donovan Dent is averaging 12.4 points and 6.5 assists, but shooting just 41 percent. His 4-of-26 three-point success jumps off the stat sheet. But he’ll really test Purdue off the dribble.

• Point Skyy Clark has been sidelined by a hamstring injury suffered at Iowa. The Bruins’ second-leading scorer has sat out the past four games. The former Illinois and Louisville guard

• UCLA averages only six made threes per game in Big Ten play, but sophomore Trent Perry has been dangerous, 9-of-21 in conference games, filling a scoring void left by Clark.

• The Bruins have drawn 20 fouls per game through 18 games, 19 per game in Big Ten competition.

• Rebounding is a huge issue for UCLA, last in the Big Ten in conference play in defensive rebounding percentage. Lineup changes may be forthcoming as Indianapolis native and former Michigan State forward Xavier Booker barely played at Ohio State after starting. He’s started all but two games this season, but Cronin’s hook can be a quick one.

• With Purdue visiting, UCLA is giving out John Wooden bobbleheads.

THREE KEYS FOR PURDUE

MANAGING PACE	REBOUNDING	TOUGHNESS
This is a wide umbrella, but USC almost beat Purdue because it was able to run or at least be a step ahead. Making threes and not turning the ball over would have changed all that, obviously.	Purdue may really be able to flex its size and physicality advantages, especially on the offensive glass. UCLA isn’t a good rebounding team but they do have athletes.	If UCLA is listening to its coach, it’s going to play really hard, be really aggressive on defense and as physical as its personnel allows. If it’s not listening to its coach, it’s cooked.

THREE THOUGHTS

• The realities of being in the Big Ten are a piano on UCLA’s back right now and this is the game it gets right after a Pennsylvania/Ohio swing. Tough deal.
• Braden Smith is accustomed to being uncomfortable. He might even be better when he’s agitated. If he’s playing hurt, expect him to persevere. It’s all he’s ever done.
• Winning the game is Priority 1A and 1B but getting Trey Kaufman-Renn some positive momentum would be tremendous. Purdue ought to keep going to him early and often and playing off the attention he’s going to draw.

GOLDANDBLACK.COM PREDICTION: PURDUE 75, UCLA 67

UCLA, like USC, is going to make to make this game a quagmire, and Purdue will have to beat a Pac-12 team Big Ten-style. Underestimate Mick Cronin at your own risk.