Playing the reigning champions versus the reigning runners-up – most would fear the former more.

But loss, as any athlete knows, sparks a fire for redemption in a way winning never does.

And while weighed down by an NCAA finals loss and a ranking spiral, a mounting losing streak may activate a team desperate to emerge from the wreckage.

“Look, I think if you poll coaches, you wouldn’t want to play a wounded program with a championship mentality,” said coach Mick Cronin.

The wounded program is No. 20 Purdue (19-9, 11-6 Big Ten) and the barrier in its way to righting the ship will be UCLA men’s basketball (20-8, 11-6) when the two battle in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Friday for the first contest of the Bruins’ final road game stretch of the season.

After losing their last four games in a row, the Boilermakers will be granted an opportunity to regain momentum heading into the tail end of their conference schedule in search of favorable postseason seeding.

The Bruins, meanwhile, will on one hand take the court still riding the high of a landmark day at Pauley Pavilion, honoring Cronin’s 500th win and the legacy of the late Bill Walton. On the other hand, the court they’ll take won’t be as welcoming as what they experienced Sunday.

Purdue boasts a 12-2 record at home this season – at an arena often called a powder keg and billed as one of the most hostile territories in collegiate basketball.

It will be a test for UCLA’s young core to demonstrate its composure under the brightest of lights.

“You can’t go in there lackadaisical, because we’re playing at Purdue,” said sophomore guard Sebastian Mack. “It’s a big stage for a lot of people.”

Purdue, on the other hand, has built its success on a disciplined inside-out game, anchored by a dominant duo in guard Braden Smith and forward Trey Kaufman-Renn and efficient perimeter shooting.

While UCLA ranks 25th nationwide in assist-to-turnover ratio, turnovers have plagued the team’s offensive efforts in recent games – committing seven second-half turnovers against Ohio State on Sunday.

“Rebounding consistently is probably the biggest (thing) that kills us the most – and communication on defense,” said junior guard Skyy Clark. “If we lock in on those two things, we’ll be a really hard team to beat.”

UCLA’s defensive improvements have been a bright spot, however, as the Bruins have held opponents to under 70 points in six of their last seven games. However, stopping a balanced attack from Purdue will likely require a disciplined performance in transition and around the rim as the Boilermakers rank 21st in offensive efficiency.

“You can’t be so-called limping towards the finish line,” Cronin said. “That’s your job, as a coach, late in the season, to execute, because this team has learned all the things we need to do.”