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LOS ANGELES (WCIA) – The Illinois men’s basketball team is gearing up to take on UCLA this Saturday, aiming to secure victories against both of California’s Big Ten teams.
After a commanding 101-65 triumph over USC on Wednesday, the Illini are poised to extend their winning streak to three games. A win against UCLA would also set the stage for a highly anticipated showdown with Michigan scheduled for Friday, February 27.
Starting Lineup for the Illini
In a remarkable display of strength, Illinois exceeded expectations against the Trojans, bolstered by the return of Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic to the lineup for the first time in over a month.
The Illini showcased their depth with seven players scoring in double digits, marking the first instance in over ten years that a Big Ten team achieved this feat during a conference matchup.
Stojakovic, who led the team with 22 points, came off the bench in his return to action after missing two games with an ankle injury.
“You’re always looking for the right combination,” Brad Underwood said on Friday.
He says Jake Davis, who moved into a starting role while Illinois battled injuries, earned the right to stay in the first five on the floor.
“Jake has been sensational,” he said. “He has earned the opportunity, he’s a great fit.”
Davis made all four shots he attempted at USC, all coming from beyond the arc, finishing 4-for-4 with 12 points.
Underwood doesn’t put too much weight into who starts, knowing Illinois will typically play each of its main rotation players plenty of minutes.
“I always like bringing impact off the bench,” the Illini head coach said. “We’ve had a lot of six man of the year award type guys and… I’ve never got overly concerned about who starts. It’s just got to be the right fit and the piece has got to play well together.”
Will Riley won Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year in 2025, starting just nine games for Illinois before being selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.
About the Bruins
UCLA will come into Saturday’s contest hungry, perhaps even desperate, for a win after getting blown out twice in a road trip to Michigan. The Bruins lost by 30 in Ann Arbor and by 23 in East Lansing.
“Any time you play one of [UCLA head coach Mick Cronin’s] teams, you know you’re going to get their best,” Underwood said. “I go off what I’ve seen on film, I go off what happened with them last year – it was a dog fight. Mick’s teams always play really hard, they’re well coached and they don’t beat themselves. I’m expecting that same type of game.”
Illinois won 83-78 when these teams met in Champaign in February of 2025.
The Bruins have five players averaging 10 or more points per game. Former Illini Skyy Clark is scoring 13 points per outing, as is Donovan Dent. Dent was one of the highest rated players in the transfer portal last offseason, coming to LA from New Mexico.
The Bruins leading scorer played well in Champaign last year. Tyler Bilodeau, a 6-foot-9 forward averaging 18 points per game on his senior campaign, scored 25 points on 7-for-11 from three against Illinois in 2025.
He has been shooting the ball well lately, too. Bilodeau has 29 made three-pointers in UCLA’s last 10 games, connecting on 51% from deep in that stretch, dating back to Jan. 14.
The primary cause for concern for Illinois fans leading up this game might not be a person/player but rather the location. The Bruins are 14-1 at home in 2025-26, and finished 15-2 on their own court in 2024-25. This season, they boast a home win against Purdue, with their lone home loss coming to Indiana in double overtime.
Game info
Saturday’s game in LA is set to tip-off at 7 p.m. CT and air on FOX.
Illinois is a 6.5-point favorite at the time of this article’s publishing, according to ESPN/DraftKings.
A win for Illinois would help it maintain sole possession of second place in the Big Ten before hosting Michigan on Friday, Feb. 27.