Wisconsin Badgers
UCLA
Five Things to Know: UW vs. UCLA
January 04, 2026 | Men's Basketball
Badgers look to bounce back at home
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin men’s basketball team looks to bounce back against UCLA on Tuesday at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers fell at home 89-73 on Saturday to No. 5 Purdue as Nick Boyd led UW with a game-high 24 points.
Tuesday’s tipoff is set for 8 p.m. and tickets are still available on UWBadgers.Com. Fans that can’t make it to Madison can watch the game live on Peacock and NBC Sports Network as Paul Burmeister and Robbie Hummel have the call. Fans can also listen to Matt Lepay and Brian Butch call the action on the Badger Radio Network.
WINTER IS HERE
Badger junior Nolan Winter picked up his seventh double-double in Saturday’s contest, posting 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Minnesota native has now scored double-digits in seven-straight contests. He’s currently fourth in the Big Ten in rebounding, hauling in 9.3 rebounds per game. Winter’s rebounding is enforced by the metrics, clearing over 26.3-percent of boards on the defensive glass – the 25th highest mark of any player in the country.
He’s taken advantage of opportunities on the offensive end, being the Badgers’ third-leading scorer with 14.4 points per game, despite having the fourth-highest usage. At 60.3-percent, Winter leads UW and has the fourth-highest field goal percentage in the Big Ten.
STARTS AT THE TOP
The backcourt battery of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell continue their offensive prowess as both sit among the Big Ten’s top-10 scorers. Boyd is up to 19.5 points per game on the season, and fifth in the conference, while Blackwell sits 10th at 17.5 points per game. Boyd's 24 points against Purdue marked his seventh 20-point performance of the season. He had five such performances in four seasons prior to Wisconsin. Boyd and Blackwell are one-of-seven duos in the county to average at least 17.5 points, joining Power 4 schools like Alabama, Iowa State and Texas Tech.
EARLY HONORS ARE EVEN
The Badgers and Bruins split the honors in UCLA’s inaugural Big Ten 2024-25 season. Mick Cronin’s squad ousted UW during the regular season, 85-83, despite 23 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists from John Blackwell. The tables would turn two months later as Bucky sent UCLA home in the second-round of the Big Ten tournament, ending its season with a 86-70 victory. Blackwell had 18 points thanks to four three-pointers, while John Tonje went for 26 in the contest, shooting 9-of-19 from the field. UW made 19 three-pointers in that game, the second-most of the 2024-25 campaign.
WELCOME BACK TO MADTOWN
Wisconsin hosts UCLA in Madison for the third-time in program history and first since 1962. The Bruins hold a 6-3 series lead over the Badgers, with Bucky earning the tie’s first two wins, 49-46 in 1948, and 54-52 in 1949. UCLA’s last trip to Madison came on Dec. 22, 1962, when the Bruins took down UW 77-63.
The Bruins come into the contest at 10-4 and a 2-1 Big Ten record. They fell to Iowa 74-61 on Saturday, snapping what was a three-game win streak. Tyler Bilodeau leads the Bruins with 18.2 points per game, though they have four scorers in double-digits, including Donovan Dent (13.5 PPG), Skyy Clark (13.5 PPG) and Eric Dailey Jr. (10.1 PPG).
WE MEET AGAIN
Following Tuesday’s contest the Badgers hit the road for a matinee Big Ten Championship rematch at No. 2 Michigan. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. and fans can watch live on CBS as Kevin Harlan, Bill Raferty and Robbie Hummel have the call.
