This post was updated March 1 at 9:23 p.m.
Back-to-back wins – one against a top 10 team in the nation and the other against a crosstown rival – usually provide the fuel to gain momentum.

Riding a two-game win streak – including an upset over No. 10 Illinois and a blowout of its crosstown rivals, UCLA men’s basketball (19-9, 11-6 Big Ten) will turn its head to Saturday morning, where it will face Minnesota (13-15, 6-11) at Pauley Pavilion for the penultimate road game of the regular season.

After rebounding with a 95-94 upset over then-No. 10 Illinois Saturday evening at Pauley Pavilion, UCLA men’s basketball (19-9, 11-6 Big Ten) followed its historic performance with an 81-62 trouncing of crosstown rival USC (18-10, 7-10) Tuesday night at Pauley Pavilion.

This post was updated Feb. 25 at 12:22 a.m.
The Battle for Los Angeles. The Crosstown Cup. The LA Showdown.
Whatever the game’s nickname is, everything else stays the same.

This post was updated Feb. 24 at 1:28 p.m.
Ignoring outside noise often breeds success.
Despite the scrutiny surrounding coach Mick Cronin and UCLA men’s basketball (18-9, 10-6 Big Ten) after the head honcho ejected redshirt senior forward/center Steven Jamerson II in a game against then-No.

Just three days after upsetting No. 10 Illinois 95-94 in overtime in buzzer-beating fashion, UCLA men’s basketball (18-9, 10-6 Big Ten) will turn its head to Tuesday night, where it will face USC (18-9, 7-9) at Pauley Pavilion for the first crosstown rivalry matchup of the 2025-26 season.

The skid is over. After losing back-to-back road contests by a combined 53 points to then-No. 2 Michigan and then-No. 15 Michigan State on Feb. 14 and Feb.