UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast: Bruins to Face Former Teammate and More

Our latest episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast previews the upcoming Big Ten battle between the Bruins and Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin look on during the second half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The No. 15 UCLA Bruins (11-2) are heading on the road this Saturday for another gritty Big Ten battle as they square off with the Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-2). Expected to be another hard-fought close ballgame, the Bruins have had much experience on how to handle games of that caliber.

In this episode of the UCLA Bruins Insider Podcast, UCLA Bruins On SI beat writer Tom Cavanaugh breaks down a former Bruin, turned Cornhusker that they will face this weekend and also stresses how important the difficult last few games will be for the Bruins conference title hopes.

You can watch the episode below:

UCLA will be competing against former Bruin, sophomore forward Berke Buyuktuncel, who spent last season under head coach Mick Cronin. He made his transfer to the Cornhuskers this past offseason and has shown some serious improvement in just one short season.

As a Bruin, Buyuktuncel averaged just 4.5 points in 16.3 minutes per game. He played a small role for a UCLA team that struggled mightily last year, finishing with a 16-17 record and missing the national tournament. This year, he had made immense strides, averaging 7.9 points in 23.7 minutes per game.

"I think he's [Buyuktuncel] doing well; I think he adapted well," said Bruins senior guard Lazar Stefanovic on Thursday. "I was in contact a little bit with him; we watched some of their games. I'm happy for him; he looks happy, he looks like he's doing really well. So, I can't wait to see him actually and say hi to him in person. As you know, we were roommates last year, too, so we spent a lot of time together."

Bruins junior guard Skyy Clark also spoke to the media on Thursday and was asked about his experience in the Big Ten as a former player for the Illinois Fighting Illini two seasons ago. He talked about how their tough non-conference schedule has helped prep them for conference play.

Clark played in just 13 games, averaging seven points per game for the Illini in 2022-'23. With the Bruins heading on the road to face the Cornhuskers this weekend, Clark is very aware of what type of atmosphere his team will walk into, especially as a top-15 team in the country.

It may just feel like another game for UCLA, but at this point of the season, every conference game means the most for their Big Ten title chances as well as their seeding into the national tournament. Saturday will be a battle between two of the top teams in the conference.

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