UCLA might have beaten Michigan State to enter the Big Ten semifinals, but the Bruins have lost one of their most important players in the process. Meanwhile, Purdue is intent on making it to the finals and possibly win the Big Ten Championship and enter the NCAA National Championship Tournament as an automatic entry. There are plenty of storylines happening on this one, and it all ties into March Madness.
Coming into the game against No. 8 Michigan State, the Bruins were considered heavy underdogs, with many expecting the highly-favored Spartans to win. However, UCLA played with a lot of heart and managed to pull off the upset, but at great cost.
Purdue vs. UCLA Basketball Injury Report
Purdue Boilermakers
- No injuries reported, all players expected to be available
UCLA Bruins
- Tyler Bilodeau: Questionable (knee)
- Evan Manjikian: Out for season (arm)
While UCLA has proven that they could get things done without Evan Manjikian, as he has been out for quite some time now due to an arm injury, the same cannot be said for Tyler Bilodeau. He is the Bruins’ leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 18.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season, so his teammates really have to work double time against the Boilermakers on Saturday.
Bilodeau exited the game against Michigan State and was later seen having that injured right leg of his wrapped up. He is still scheduled to have an MRI ahead of the game against the Boilermakers, so he is listed as questionable. The injury itself is not considered that serious and initial reports indicate it is just a sprained right ankle, but his presence in the Big Ten semifinals is still unclear.
As for Purdue, the Boilermakers are coming in with all their players healthy and expected to play. They are already coming in as the heavy favorites, but UCLA has overcome the odds before.
Purdue vs. UCLA Basketball Prediction
Even if Tyler Bilodeau will be able to come back to play for the Bruins, Purdue is still considered the favorite to win. While the Bruins did manage to beat the highly-favored Michigan State Spartans, Purdue has been quite hot and also have a ton of momentum. Should Bilodeau miss the game, then it is all the more reason to believe that the Boilermakers could move on to the Big Ten final to face Michigan or Wisconsin.
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