Key matchup: UCLA’s Tyler Bilodeau, Gonzaga’s Graham Ike kind of a big deal
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The key matchup is a big deal.
UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau vs. Gonzaga counterpart Graham Ike is the main event. Their numbers are almost identical.
Bilodeau tops UCLA at 15.1 points per game and chips in 5.3 rebounds. Ike produces a team-leading 15.5 points and 6.6 boards for the Zags. Bilodeau hits more 3s (16 to Ike’s four), but Ike has an edge in field-goal and free-throw percentage.
Bilodeau typically avoids foul trouble. Ike applies foul pressure on opposing bigs, but he’s not immune to committing fouls. He finished with four fouls in five of Gonzaga’s past six games.
They operate in different ways. The 6-foot-9, 230-pound Bilodeau is more mobile and more apt to launch from behind the 3-point line or use a few dribbles to create a shot.
Ike, at 6-9 and 250, does most of his damage closer to the basket and working off the pick-and-roll in unison with point guard Ryan Nembhard.
Both benefit from offenses that don’t rely on 3-point shots as often as many teams in college basketball.
Bilodeau was a standout at Kennewick High . His dad, Brent, played 12 years of pro and semipro hockey and his mom, Cass, played seven seasons in the ABL and WNBA.
Bilodeau, who also played club hockey and helped his team to a pair of fifth-place state finishes, played two years at Oregon State before transferring to UCLA. He averaged 14.3 points and 5.7 rebounds as a sophomore and posted 10 points and a career-high 14 boards in one game against UCLA.
Bilodeau is coming off a 26-point effort against North Carolina, but the Tar Heels rallied to win when he was on the bench in the second half with four fouls. He had 17 points in UCLA’s comeback victory over Arizona.
Whether Bilodeau and Ike guard each other remains to be seen. The Zags could put 6-7 Michael Ajayi on Bilodeau while the Bruins might prefer Oklahoma State transfer Eric Dailey Jr., at 6-8 and 230, defending Ike.
Both teams have multiple options off the bench. Gonzaga’s Ben Gregg (6-10, 230) has guarded 4s and 5s and Braden Huff (6-10, 240) usually lines up against opposing centers.
The Bruins can turn to South Dakota State transfer William Kyle III (6-9, 230) or 7-3 Aday Mara. Kyle averages 12 minutes per game while Mara is just under 10.