The doorbell rings at Brent and Cass Bilodeau’s home in Tri-Cities, Washington. A buyer has come to collect a chair they were selling. He’s from just out of town, but he knows their son Jacob because his daughter attends the same school.
He’s a sports fan, so Cass continues chatting with him about her kids. Jacob at Rocky Mountain College and his twin brother, Tyler, at UCLA.
As they load the chair into his truck, he sheepishly asks, “Hey, your son at UCLA. Does he get any time?”
Cass starts laughing.
“Actually,” she tells him, “He’s their leading scorer.”
“Are you kidding me!” he replies. “How come we don’t know about him?”
He apologizes profusely. Cass lets him off the hook. This is how the Bilodeaus raised their children. No self-promotion. No braggadocious energy.
“We’re just low-key,” Cass says, “Just to work. Do your job.”
Tyler Bilodeau embraces this nature. He takes after his subdued parents. He speaks to the media more than anyone on the UCLA basketball team, yet he has the least to say. He lets his game do the talking. It’s grown louder with each season. He’s gone from being a three-star recruit to averaging 18.4 points with nearly 50/40/90 shooting splits. He rarely brags, rarely lets his emotions dictate the outcome.
He’ll celebrate Senior Night on Tuesday in that exact way. It won’t be difficult as UCLA (19-10 overall, 11-7 Big Ten) is in “desperation mode,” Bilodeau says; hosting No. 9 Nebraska (25-4, 14-4) while trying to avoid the dreaded NCAA Tournament bubble. A must-win game is a fitting conclusion for his two years in Westwood.
“We’re not emotional about it,” Cass Bilodeau said. “It’s gone by fast. It’s kind of crazy to think how fast it’s gone, but we know he needs to prepare and be in the right mindset for the game.”
Donovan Dent, Steven Jamerson II and the rest of UCLA’s seniors are approaching Tuesday similar to Bilodeau. The Bruins haven’t clicked consistently for any extended stretch, but the players remain aligned.
“I think they’re all good guys,” Brent Bilodeau said. “Everyone likes each other and respects each other. It’s a funny thing in sports, where you can have teams that don’t like each other, but yet they click. You can have teams that love each other and click. Or love each other and don’t click. So it’s been kind of a weird combination. … They want to play hard for each other and they want to do well. They just haven’t quite found it yet.”
Tyler remains hopeful, Brent says.
“He hasn’t really been anxious because he’s taking it one game at a time,” his father added.
Tyler’s always been that way. His parents would chide his youth teammates who “shot a bow-and-arrow after a basket” or “rode their hockey stick after a goal,” telling him, “it’s not needed.” Bilodeau listened. He’d watch those teammates concede on the other end, learning the importance of a “next-play” mentality, and the value of silent success.
Bilodeau has boisterous moments. He jokes around with this family. He and Jacob “razz” each other.
“As you get to know him, he will let loose,” Cass said.
His teammates have seen that side of him.
“He’s definitely a goofy dude,” UCLA forward Xavier Booker said. “It’s definitely a good relationship off the court, and that’s something that kind of carries over on the court as well.”
Bilodeau’s voice holds weight in the Bruins’ locker room. Booker said Bilodeau “organized” and “initiated” the players-only meeting ahead of UCLA’s game against Illinois. The Bruins have a final film session the night before each game, but Bilodeau texted his teammates to come 30 minutes before so each player could share “what they needed to do to finish off the season.”
“He’s been a great leader for us,” Booker said.
Bilodeau ensured his teammates huddled at each stoppage during UCLA’s 95-94 overtime victory against then-No. 10 Illinois.
“Through the ebbs and flows of the game, we’ve been trying to emphasize staying together, huddling after every play, getting everyone on the same page,” Bilodeau said following that Feb. 21 win.
He also has strong communication with UCLA head coach Mick Cronin as Bilodeau has learned to handle his tough coaching style. Cronin often takes lighthearted jabs at Bilodeau, knowing he embraces his honest ways.
During a practice earlier this season, Bilodeau allowed Bruins forward Eric Dailey Jr. to drive to his strong hand and throw down a dunk. Cronin berated him, saying, “With defense like that, you’ll be playing in Uruguay.”
In UCLA’s victory over Washington on Feb. 7, Bilodeau committed his fourth foul with 10:37 remaining, moments after Cronin subbed him back into the game, explicitly telling him, “They’re going to run a play right at you. Do not foul the guy.”
Bilodeau finished that game with 19 points, hitting three 3-point shots, inspiring Cronin to couple that lesson with praise.
“He’s the best, man,” Cronin said. “I’ll miss him dearly. Tyler works hard. He just keeps getting better.”
Before UCLA prevailed against Illinois, Cronin scolded Bilodeau after he looked lost on the final play of regulation. “What the (expletive) are you doing?” Cronin loudly questioned as his big man returned to the bench. Moments later, he called a play for Bilodeau to get a corner 3-pointer on UCLA’s first possession of overtime.
“Cronin knows Tyler has the ability to get better, so Cronin will demand more from him,” Cass said. “Tyler is a person that actually responds to that, that actually does well with that. [Cronin’s] helped him grow quite a bit.”
When Bilodeau and his family were deciding where to transfer after his sophomore year at Oregon State, Cronin sold them on the idea that Bilodeau could be the Bruins’ leading scorer. He identified specific parts of Bilodeau’s game, which set him apart.
“The kid scores with his left hand, scores with his right, scores from all three levels,” Cronin told the family. “Where he releases the ball, and the fact that he’s so tall, his mechanics, he really has the ability to score.”
Rather than bask in those compliments, Bilodeau worked to refine his game, fulfilling Cronin’s prophecy.
He swished a right-wing 3-pointer to help propel UCLA past then-No. 4 Purdue. He scored 32 points in a loss at Minnesota on Saturday. He scored 16 points across the second half and overtime when UCLA beat Illinois.
He’s paced UCLA in scoring in both of his seasons in Westwood. He’s hit clutch shots and delivered his best performances in crucial spots.
Yet his impact can go unnoticed, unheard. He epitomizes the cliche of a “quiet 30 points.” He knows no other way.
“We’ve never been people that are self-promoters,” Cass Bilodeau said. “That’s how we raised our kids: Just put in the hard work and it’s going to pay dividends. You don’t need to have so much hooplah. But honestly, we know that’s probably, in some ways, in this day and age, hurt them.”
Clearly, it hasn’t. Rather, Bilodeau’s subtle character has breathed a humble star.
NO. 9 NEBRASKA AT UCLA
When: Tuesday, 8 p.m.
Where: Pauley Pavilion
TV/Radio: FS1, 790 AM
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