The Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia is set to witness an enthralling encounter tonight when the UCLA Bruins face the UConn Huskies in the second round of 2026 March Madness.
Both East Region teams come into this fixture off the back of convincing first-round performances. UCLA defeated the UCF Knights 75-71 to advance to the second round, while UConn emerged triumphant over Furman with a scoreline of 82-71.
With an overall record of 30-5 and a Big East record of 17-3, the No. 2 UConn Huskies would like to continue their red-hot form against No. 7 UCLA. However, absences from both teams could hurt their chances of advancing.
While there are no confirmed absentees just yet, it looks like the UConn Huskies could miss a couple of key players ahead of this all-important fixture. Junior guard Silas Demary Jr.’s availability for this game is still under a cloud after sustaining an undisclosed injury earlier this week. However, he is expected to play.
Demary did not feature in the win over the Furman Paladins a couple of days back, which was a massive setback, considering how instrumental he has been throughout the campaign, averaging just over 10 points per game, the fifth-highest point getter for the Huskies.
Meanwhile, forward Jaylin Stewart’s knee has him listed as questionable for this game as well. Stewart has been out of action since late February.
UCLA will most likely miss the services of its forward duo of Tyler Bilodeau and Evan Manjikian, who are both listed as questionable for tonight’s fixture. While Manjikian has been out of action since mid-January, Bilodeau sustained a knee injury earlier this March, which has kept him sidelined ever since.
UCLA vs UConn Projected Starting Lineups
Let’s take a look at how both sides could potentially shape up for tonight’s second-round fixture.
UCLA Bruins
- F Xavier Booker
- G Donovan Dent
- G Skyy Clark
- G Trent Perry
- G Eric Dailey Jr.
UConn Huskies
- F Alex Karaban
- C Tarris Reed Jr.
- G Braylon Mullins
- G Solo Ball
- G Malachi Smith
Having won their respective first-round games with no visible distress, it seems highly unlikely that either Dan Hurley or Mick Cronin would tinker with a winning combination. However, as Tyler Bilodeau and Silas Demary Jr. have only been listed as questionable for this game, they could slot right in to the starting five if deemed fit enough.
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