The storied rivalry between UCLA and Washington men’s basketball took center stage once again on Saturday, February 7, 2026, as the Bruins hosted the Huskies at Pauley Pavilion. With both programs now plying their trade in the Big Ten, the matchup still carried the unmistakable flavor of their old Pac-12 battles. The stakes? High as ever. UCLA entered the contest with a 16-7 overall record and an 8-4 mark in conference play, determined to defend their home court and solidify their postseason seeding. Washington, meanwhile, arrived at 12-11 (4-8 Big Ten), hungry to find traction and snap a recent string of tough results.
Fans didn’t have to search hard for drama in this rematch. Their first meeting, back on December 3, 2025, in Seattle, was a nail-biter, with UCLA escaping 82-80 after the Huskies nearly erased a 16-point deficit in the final four minutes. "I give our guys a lot of credit for coming back and making a lot of big shots and big plays," Washington head coach Danny Sprinkle said after that contest. "Getting the ball to the rim and giving ourselves a chance to have a shot to win it at the end, but it comes down to little things." Those little things—especially turnovers—were top of mind for both teams coming into Saturday’s clash.
Washington’s hopes revolved around the towering presence of Hannes Steinbach, the 6-foot-11 forward who’s become one of the Big Ten’s most dominant big men. Steinbach entered the Pauley Pavilion showdown averaging 17.8 points and 11.5 rebounds per game, shooting an efficient 53.7% from the field and 35.1% from beyond the arc. His impact is hard to overstate: he’s led the Huskies in scoring in 12 of their 23 games this season, and his 29-point, 12-rebound outburst against UCLA in December was still fresh in the Bruins’ minds. Steinbach’s ability to carve out space, finish through contact, and crash the offensive glass made him the focal point of UCLA’s defensive game plan.
“We have to limit their two, one and zero-foot shots,” Bruins head coach Mick Cronin emphasized before Friday’s practice. The strategy was clear: keep Steinbach out of the paint and force him to settle for jumpers. That’s easier said than done, of course, given Steinbach’s knack for timely cuts, his smooth shooting touch, and his agility in transition. He’d just broken the UW freshman record for double-doubles, notching his 15th with a 20-point, 12-rebound effort against Iowa earlier in the week.
Feeding Steinbach on the interior was sophomore guard Zoom Diallo, who’s emerged as one of the conference’s most dynamic playmakers. Diallo came into the game averaging 15.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.6 rebounds, fresh off his second double-double in three games (16 points, 12 assists against Iowa). His ability to attack downhill, find open shooters, and knock down midrange jumpers made him a constant threat. "If Zoom Diallo can keep the ball moving at 4.3 assists per game without donating live-ball mistakes, Washington can make this a possession-by-possession tug instead of a runout problem," noted one preview from DraftKings Network.
The rest of the Huskies’ starting lineup featured guard Wesley Yates III—third on the team in scoring at 13.4 points per game and the team’s steals leader at 1.4 per contest—alongside Quimari Peterson and center Franck Kepnang. Yates, a former USC guard, has upped his production in the absence of Desmond Claude, showcasing a reliable corner three and a knack for timely defensive plays. Peterson, averaging 8.8 points, has thrived as a deep threat, while Kepnang, at 6-foot-11 and 253 pounds, provided muscle in the paint with timely rebounds and shot-blocking.
For the Bruins, the formula for success revolved around their own stars. Forward Tyler Bilodeau has been a force, averaging 18.2 points per game and providing a steady scoring option. Guard Donovan Dent, the team’s engine, orchestrated the offense with 7.0 assists per game, including an impressive 11-assist outing in the previous contest. Xavier Booker, a junior forward/center, was coming off a monster performance—24 points on 10-for-11 shooting—while Eric Dailey Jr. and Bilodeau anchored a frontcourt tasked with containing Steinbach and Kepnang.
Statistically, the matchup promised fireworks. UCLA averaged 78.9 points per game while allowing 69.7, boasting a +9.2 scoring margin. Their shot quality stood out, creating a 54.0% effective field goal rate and limiting opponents to just 48.8%. Washington, for its part, allowed 73.3 points per game and generated offense through size and offensive rebounding, boasting a 33.5% offensive rebound rate. However, turnovers remained a thorn in the Huskies’ side—they’d coughed up the ball 15 times in their December loss to UCLA and 12 times in a recent defeat to Iowa, leading to 22 Hawkeye points.
Injuries also played a role for Washington, with key contributors JJ Mandaquit and Jasir Rencher potentially out for the season. Sprinkle’s squad leaned heavily on Steinbach and Diallo to shoulder the scoring and playmaking burden, especially as the rotation tightened.
UCLA’s defense, meanwhile, specialized in contesting threes—opponents shot just 29.8% from deep against the Bruins, a potential stumbling block for a Washington team that relied on volume from beyond the arc but converted only 32.2% of its attempts. The Bruins also excelled in taking care of the ball, averaging just 9.4 turnovers per game and forcing turnovers on 16.3% of opponent possessions.
With Pauley Pavilion rocking and both teams desperate for a statement win, the opening minutes set the tone for a physical, back-and-forth battle. Every possession mattered, and the margin for error was razor-thin. The prediction markets leaned toward UCLA, with analysts citing the Bruins’ home-court dominance (13-1 at home) and Washington’s struggles on the road (3-6 away). Still, the Huskies’ ability to generate second-chance points and the star power of Steinbach and Diallo kept the outcome very much in doubt as the game unfolded.
As the final buzzer approached, the action remained fierce, with both squads trading blows and neither able to pull away decisively. Could Washington finally clean up the "little things" and steal a win on the road? Or would UCLA’s discipline and shot-making carry the day once again?
With the game still ongoing at press time, fans will have to stay tuned to see if the Bruins can defend their turf or if the Huskies can pull off the upset. One thing’s for sure: in a rivalry as rich as this, nothing comes easy, and every moment counts.