Three keys for Northwestern men’s basketball against UCLA

Northwestern will try to carry momentum from its win over USC into Saturday’s matchup against UCLA. The Bruins enter the game fresh off a statement 69-67 victory over No. 4 Purdue and have won three of their last four games. While UCLA is currently unranked, it climbed as high as No. 12 earlier this season and remains one of the more talented teams on Northwestern’s schedule.

UCLA’s depth and scoring options present a real challenge, and Northwestern will need to be sharp on both ends of the floor to keep pace. Finding ways to limit the Bruins’ weapons and control the game will be critical. With that in mind, here are three keys to a Northwestern victory.

Knock down open threes

Three-point shooting has been a persistent issue for Northwestern this season, and while the Wildcats were able to beat USC, it is difficult to rely on wins when only three threes fall over the course of a game. NU shot just 20% from deep against the Trojans and is shooting 31% from three on the season, second-worst in the Big Ten and ahead of only Washington.

Nick Martinelli has been the lone consistent threat from distance, shooting an outstanding 52.1% from three on 2.7 attempts per game. Jake West has also provided a recent boost since moving into the starting lineup, knocking down at least one triple in each of the last four games and shooting 60% during that stretch.

Beyond those two, consistency has been harder to find. Max Green has been streaky and is 2-for-11 from deep over the last four games while shooting 31.6% on the season. Jayden Reid has flashed upside, most notably with a four-trey performance against Illinois, but he is still shooting 32% from beyond the arc.

Against Northwestern, the Bruins are likely to pack the paint and force the ‘Cats to win from the perimeter. Last game’s starting lineup featuring West, Green, Tre Singleton, Martinelli and Tyler Kropp was solid and gives NU three credible shooting threats, but maintaining that spacing will be critical. Having Reid on the floor with West is a strong pairing in terms of shooting balance, and it would also be great to give K.J. Windham minutes.

Windham has shown he can knock down open looks, ranking fourth on the team in made threes and shooting 34.4% from deep this season. Those minutes should come at the expense of Jordan Clayton, who is shooting 22.5% from distance on the season and just 6.7% from three over his last six games. If Northwestern wants to hang with UCLA, it must consistently convert open three-point looks and force the Bruins to defend the perimeter.

Limit the Tyler Bilodeau and Donovan Dent connection

Bilodeau has been UCLA’s most effective player this season, averaging 18.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He has made four threes in three straight contests and is averaging 21.7 points over his last three games. Much of UCLA’s offense flows through Bilodeau and Dent, the latter of whom has found his rhythm of late after turning in his best performance of the season against Purdue with 23 points and 13 assists.

Dent was one of the most sought after players in the transfer portal after averaging 20.4 points and 6.4 assists last season and winning Mountain West Player of the Year honors at New Mexico. While his overall numbers have dipped this season, he is playing his best basketball right now and is averaging 12.9 points and 6.8 assists.

UCLA frequently runs action between Dent and Bilodeau, whether it is a pick-and-roll, a pick-and-pop for a Bilodeau three or an entry pass that allows Bilodeau to operate in the post or midrange. Northwestern has struggled defending screens this season, making it especially important to account for Bilodeau as a pick-and-pop threat.

NU often hard hedges ball screens to keep guards from getting downhill, but that approach can leave the defense scrambling to recover to shooters. Whether it is Kropp, Martinelli, Singleton or Arrinten Page guarding Bilodeau, limiting clean perimeter looks will be critical.

West is likely to draw the primary assignment on Dent and will need to stay in front of him and disrupt his ability to orchestrate the offense. Dent thrives as a facilitator and is surrounded by shooting, with four Bruins shooting above 41.5% from three: Xavier Booker at 41.7%, Trent Perry at 42.6%, Bilodeau at 44% and Skyy Clark, who could return from injury, at 48.6%. If Northwestern wants to stay competitive, it must limit the Dent-Bilodeau two-man game while also closing out effectively on UCLA’s perimeter shooters.

Defend without fouling

Rebounding is often one of the major keys for Northwestern, especially given the Wildcats’ struggles on the glass this season. However, UCLA is not a dominant rebounding team, ranking 303rd in defensive rebounds at 20.4 per game and 245th in offensive rebounds at 8.4 per contest.

The Bruins also sit 156th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage at 29.6%. Because of that, while rebounding remains an issue for NU, a more pressing focus in this matchup is limiting fouls.

Fouling was a major problem in Northwestern’s last game against USC. The Wildcats committed 25 fouls and sent the Trojans to the free throw line 43 times. USC struggled early, starting just 8-for-22 from the line and finished 26-for-43.

That volume of fouls is unsustainable and cannot be repeated against a disciplined team like UCLA. NU players must stay in front of ballhandlers, move their feet and avoid reaching or putting hands on offensive players.

Excessive fouling also disrupts rhythm and rotations. That was evident against USC, particularly for Singleton and Reid. Singleton, who was coming off a 14-point performance against Nebraska, played only 14 minutes and never found a rhythm, finishing with six points. Reid picked up four fouls and was forced to sit for extended stretches, limiting him to seven points.

UCLA is solid at drawing fouls, forcing 18.9 per game which ranks 101st nationally. The Bruins also average 15.5 free throw attempts per contest, placing them in the upper half of the country. If Northwestern wants to improve its chances of securing a win, it must defend with discipline and avoid putting UCLA on the line.