3 Keys For Indiana Basketball Against UCLA

The Hoosiers return to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall to host UCLA, looking to build off their win at Michigan State.

Jack Ankony | Feb 14, 2025

Indiana lines up for the national anthem before playing Michigan State at the Breslin Center. / Photo credit Indiana Athletics

In this story:

Indiana Hoosiers

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana took the first step in turning its season around Tuesday with a 71-67 win at No. 11 Michigan State. But the Hoosiers still have a lot of work to do to get back into the NCAA Tournament picture, and that starts Friday against UCLA.

Coach Mick Cronin and the Bruins are coming off a 83-78 Tuesday at Illinois, which snapped a seven-game win streak. UCLA enters the game at 18-7 overall and tied for fifth in the Big Ten at 9-5 in conference play, while Indiana is in a three-way tie for 10th in the conference standings at 6-8 and 15-10 overall.

Indiana and UCLA are two of college basketball’s most accomplished programs, with five and 11 national titles, respectively, but they haven’t played each other since 2007. The all-time series is tied 6-6, and Friday will be the first matchup at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Here are three keys for the Hoosiers.

1. Be strong with the ball

Indiana's Oumar Ballo defended by Michigan State's Szymon Zapala at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

UCLA leads the nation with a 24.0 defensive turnover percentage. Tough, physical defense is always a staple of Cronin’s teams, and it’s what the Bruins do best this year. They’re going to pressure the ball on the perimeter, double the post and hope to get away with some physicality.

Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo played key roles in Indiana’s upset win at Michigan State, and this is potentially another favorable matchup for the Indiana bigs. UCLA’s starting front court duo of 6-foot-9 Tyler Bilodeau and 6-foot-8 Eric Dailey Jr. are not intimidating shot blockers. Bilodeau averages 0.5 blocks per game, and Dailey has just three all season.

It will also be interesting to see how much UCLA’s backup center Aday Mara plays. The 7-foot-3 sophomore leads the team with 35 blocks, but his minutes have been inconsistent. He played just eight minutes at Illinois and 10 against Penn State, following five straight games with 10-plus minutes.

Based on UCLA’s performances throughout the season, Cronin likely won’t let Bilodeau and Dailey play one-on-one defense on Friday, especially after Reneau and Ballo dominated the Michigan State bigs earlier in the week.

For that reason, Reneau and Ballo have to be ready for scrappy UCLA double-teams to dig down in the post. UCLA’s guards love to swipe at the ball when double-teaming, especially when opposing bigs dribble carelessly in the lane. When Reneau and Ballo post up, they must be strong with the ball, make quick moves to the basket and not give the UCLA defense opportunities to steal the ball.

2. Make UCLA pay for doubling the post

Indiana's Luke Goode (10) makes a 3-pointer against Purdue at Mackey Arena. / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Perhaps the best way for Indiana to combat UCLA’s interior double-teams is by knocking down some 3-point shots. UCLA’s guards are good perimeter defenders, so Indiana may not be able to get many 3-point looks by simply swinging the ball around the arc or beating a defender off the dribble.

The Hoosiers could find more open 3-point shots if they get the ball inside to Reneau and Ballo, then kick it back out to shooters after the UCLA double-team leaves the perimeter to help out inside. That’s part of the reason it’s so important for Reneau and Ballo to be strong and not turn the ball over, as mentioned above.

If they can do that, a big game could be in store for Luke Goode and Mackenzie Mgbako. Goode is shooting 47.9% from 3-point range in Big Ten play, and he’s tied for sixth in 3-pointers made.

Mgbako has been a streaky shooter all season, and Indiana needs him to get back on track. He’s 2 for 14 from 3-point range over the last three games, which followed a three-game stretch in which he shot 8 for 20 from beyond the arc.

3. Any zone defense?

Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr. defended by Indiana's Myles Rice at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. / Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State scored just 67 points on 38.2% shooting Tuesday, the fewest points and the lowest field goal percentage an Indiana opponent has had in Big Ten play this season. A few days earlier, Indiana held Michigan to 70 points for the first time in eight games. The Wolverines also scored just 21 second-half points.

A common theme in those games was Indiana mixing in a zone defense. Woodson thought it’d be the best way to slow down Michigan State’s transition offense, instead forcing a 28.8% 3-point shooting team to hoist 24 threes, tied for its fourth most of the season.

“We haven’t run into much zone, but when you do, your shooters have to make shots,” Michigan State coach Izzo said. “Could they have got it inside? They did a good job of taking that away.”

UCLA is a middle-of-the-pack 3-point shooting team at 34.8%, which ranks 126th nationally and eighth in the Big Ten. The Bruins are also ninth in the Big Ten in attempts and 11th in 3-pointers made. They’re 20.6 attempts per game rank 267th nationally.

Bilodeau has UCLA’s best 3-point percentage in conference games at 45.9%, but he attempts just 2.8 per game. No one on UCLA attempts more than 3.5 threes per game, meaning it doesn’t have a single player in the top 40 in 3-point attempts in Big Ten play.

The Bruins’ three most frequent 3-point shooters – Skyy Clark, Dylan Andrews and Kobe Johnson – all shoot between 36% and 37% from beyond the arc, but they don’t do so on high volume. This could be another opportunity to mix in a zone defense in order to limit shots in the paint and force more 3-point attempts.

1. Be strong with the ball

2. Make UCLA pay for doubling the post

3. Any zone defense?

Related stories on Indiana basketball