Pufferfish repel predators by inflating themselves to almost three times their actual size.

Just as a pufferfish enlarges to match its counterpart, the Nittany Lions play up to their competition.

Despite zero conference wins, Penn State (9-7, 0-5 Big Ten) consistently plays to the level of its opponents – losing by eight to then-No. 20 Illinois on Jan. 3, losing by two to then-No. 2 and undefeated Michigan on Jan. 6 and, most recently, falling by eight to then-No. 5 Purdue on Saturday. This competitiveness could serve UCLA men’s basketball (11-5, 3-2) its third loss across four games when the two squads face off Wednesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania.

While UCLA is coming off its first win of 2026 over Maryland, the latter out-rebounded the Bruins by 19 and brought the game within five with 6:18 remaining in the contest. This was despite the Terrapins’ No. 165 standing in the net ranking – the third-worst out of all Power Five teams.

“Obviously, we need rebounding drills, but we can’t practice because there are too many guys hurt. So we couldn’t really do box-out drills the last two days, because we already got two guys out,” said coach Mick Cronin.

Luckily for the Bruins, the Nittany Lions are tied for dead last in the conference in rebounds per game, boasting a 31.6 mark that matches Iowa – which still out-rebounded UCLA by five in a 13-point victory Jan. 3.

[Related: https://dailybruin.com/2026/01/03/ucla-mens-basketball-loses-to-iowa-74-61-despite-strong-second-half-effort]

Forward Ivan Juric, who stands at 7 feet and averages just 4.1 rebounds per game despite his tall stature, is the only Nittany Lion above 6 feet, 8 inches tall in the starting lineup. While Penn State may lack a superior front court, UCLA finds itself in a similar boat.

Senior starting power forward Tyler Bilodeau has struggled defensively over the past two seasons when moved to center, and junior forward/center Xavier Booker has played no more than 16 minutes over the last six games. This potentially illustrates Cronin’s lack of confidence in the former five-star prospect.

But while Booker falls, Steven Jamerson II soars.

The redshirt senior forward/center played a season-high 24 minutes Saturday, scoring a season-high eight points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from the floor while also adding five rebounds, three assists and two blocks in a game Cronin tabbed as his “best as a Bruin.”

“I probably agree with Coach, as it was my best game being here,” Jamerson said. “I was a lot calmer and a lot more sure of myself and confident in my abilities. So just going out there and Coach having the faith in me to keep me in the game just kept me going, kept me rolling.”

And if Jamerson is not able to inflate himself to match the Nittany Lions, then it could be redshirt sophomore guard/forward Brandon Williams who may return from injury after missing the Maryland affair alongside senior guard Skyy Clark, who suffered a hamstring injury against Iowa.

[Related: https://dailybruin.com/2026/01/06/mens-basketballs-3-point-woes-culminate-in-80-72-loss-to-wisconsin]

Williams has been a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stagnant Bruin squad who lost three of its last four. While he may not light up the stat sheet, his high IQ, toughness and energy on the boards continue to be a powerful presence.

But considering Penn State’s rebounding troubles, getting Clark back in the starting five may be crucial to UCLA’s success.

The Nittany Lions’ top three scorers all come from the backcourt. They are led by guard Freddie Dilione V, who averages 15 points per game on a 33.8% clip from beyond the arc despite mostly coming off the bench.

Dilione has played the most minutes on the team despite only starting four games this season – indicating Penn State’s likely preference for his off-the-bench impact.

The former Tennessee player is paired with guard Kayden Mingo – the highest-ranked recruit in program history – who is not only one of the best true freshmen in the country, but is also averaging 14.9 points per game on a 48.5% clip from the field.

If Clark is unable to return to action, guards sophomore Trent Perry and senior Donovan Dent will be left to defend the explosive Nittany Lion backcourt for 40 minutes.

Perry has stepped into the spotlight in Clark’s absence, scoring double-digit points in four of his last five games. He also leads the Bruins in deflections with eight against Maryland – one of Cronin’s most prized statistics.

“We overemphasize talking,” Perry said. “Talking really corrects a lot of mistakes. If a person gets blown by, we have someone on the back side talking to help rotate. We have someone to talk about ball-screen coverages and all that stuff. Just talking on defense, and hustle and attitude, really helps just making up for the mistakes that happen – because you’re not going to be perfect all the time.”

Perry’s play becomes even more important with Dent’s recent offensive struggles, scoring just eight points on 3-for-10 shooting against Maryland. Dent, however, paired his eight points with seven assists and zero turnovers – something Cronin took pride in.

“Donny Dent can come in here and tell you how much effort I put into getting him to have seven assists and no turnovers, because he was a walking turnover – he had eight against us last year at New Mexico,” Cronin said. “I mean, you can ask him. I’m relentless on him.”