REPORT: UCLA Deemed a 'Transfer Portal Winner' For Play of Star Forward

UCLA men's basketball added six transfers this offseason, and one of them has proven to be one of the best in college basketball.

Nov 15, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) dunks the ball against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

UCLA has relied heavily on its transfers so far this season.

The Bruins were one of the main teams to get the most out of the portal this past offseason, adding a total of six transfers.

Their best one, junior forward Tyler Bilodeau, has become an immediate star.

In a recent article where 247Sports' Travis Branham listed the "early season transfer portal winners," the writer included UCLA, noting the season Bilodeau has had so far. The article was published even before the star transfer dropped 20 points against Idaho State on Wednesday.

Branham wrote the following:

"The strength of schedule has been subpar but it's hard to knock what  is doing for the Bruins, especially against their best opponent so far this season when they took on .

"The skilled big man who transferred in from Oregon State has been very productive for Mick Cronin and his staff and is proving to be a go-to scoring option later in the season.

"He has a bag of moves in the mid- and  low-post. He can shoot over the top and score with his back to the basket with his outstanding touch and footwork.

"Eric Dailey Jr., Kobe Johnson and Skyy Clark have all also been positive additions in this revamped  roster."

Bilodeau's 20-point night on Wednesday included four triples on as many attempts. The outing elevated his season average to 16.4 points per game through five games.

The veteran forward played his first two collegiate seasons at Oregon State where he had a breakout year last season, averaging 14.3 points per game in 32 contests. The average ranked 15th in the Pac-12 while his field goal percentage of 53.3% ranked fourth.

Bilodeau has only turned in one performance so far this season where he didn't record double figures in scoring. He has posted at least 15 points in the other four games, including two 20-plus-point displays -- the latest game against Idaho State and the loss to New Mexico when he dropped 23.

Bilodeau's 82 points so far this season ranks sixth in the Big Ten so far this season. If he can keep this high level of production going throughout the rest of the season, there's no doubt he will earn himself a spot on an All-Conference team.

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