Tyler Bilodeau's return a welcome sight for the Bruins

Tyler Bilodeau returned for the Bruins last night in an 82-80 win over Washington. Bilodeau missed the last two games with an injured knee, and his loss was felt against the Cal Golden Bears. As the offense struggled at times with scoring the ball and being able to run sets. Bilodeau is their leading scorer and not someone that can be replaced. So having him back was a huge boost and let the Bruins run their full starting lineup. Leading to the Bruins shooting 53% from the floor on the night and 45% from 3-point range.

Bilodeau is a special player, he is a three-level scorer that can space the defense out or play back to the basket. Being able to score in a variety of ways and help the offense through tough stretches. There will be games where you cannot shoot the ball. Having a guy that can slow the game down and get easy buckets is crucial to have. It’s one of the reasons why Bilodeau has the opportunity to work his way onto NBA radars this season and into the 2026 NBA Draft.

UCLA at 6-2 on the season have had an easy road so far. But they have made that road harder than it needs to be. By not playing up to the level that this team can play to. Often not being able to cover the spread against lower-level opponents and playing sloppy basketball. The hope is now with them getting back to full health, that they can put the struggles behind them. Allowing them to get to the full potential of competing in a crowded Big Ten.

It was expected that it would take a little time for Bilodeau to work his way back in. But 7-14 for 21 points in a two-point win is big time production. Although his 3-point shot struggled as he was 1-6 on the night. That’s one of the toughest areas to get your rhythm back in against live competition. It’s a great start for Bilodeau being back. A return that is set to ignite the offense again and build the chemistry that will be needed.