The key to victory on any given night is already clear to the Bruins’ bench boss, even as conference play is just beginning.
“We have to continue to play as hard as we did in that game (against Oregon) and defend, and we’ll have a chance,” said coach Mick Cronin. “That’s just the way we have to win this year.”
That approach will be put to the test when UCLA men’s basketball (6-7, 1-1 Pac-12) battles Stanford (6-6, 1-1) on Wednesday, followed by a clash with California (4-9, 0-2) on Saturday. Now with a Pac-12 road split to their name, the Bruins are making their post-holidays return to Pauley Pavilion with an opportunity to string together victories for the first time since early November.
With nearly 30 seconds remaining, UCLA trailed by one point at Oregon last Saturday. But defensive miscues resulting in a fastbreak dunk and a pair of free throws prevented the squad from hopping on the win-streak wagon after defeating Oregon State two days prior.
From Cronin’s perspective, triumph was well within reach.
“If we didn’t have 16 turnovers, we would’ve won the game because of the way we rebounded the ball and their size disadvantage,” Cronin said.
UCLA also suffered from another rough shooting night. It was just 3-for-19 from deep, notching its third 16%-or-worse performance in the last five contests.
That persisting weakness was its upcoming opponent’s very strength en route to a big-time upset.
Sinking a program-record 16 shots from beyond the arc, Stanford caught fire in an 18-point throttling of then-No. 4 Arizona last Sunday. The Cardinal – who possess three players shooting 40% or better from range on double-digit attempts – are one of the nation’s bigger 3-point threats, ranking No. 38 percentage-wise in stark contrast to the Bruins’ No. 308.
“Coach always tells us the 3-point line is the great equalizer,” said redshirt sophomore guard Will McClendon. “If teams come out and hit a lot of 3s, it’s going to be really hard to win.”
Cal lacks such shooting prowess, placing No. 206 in the country in that same figure and dropping to No. 255 for all field goal attempts. Following a 3-29 campaign, the Golden Bears have already exceeded that program-low win total this year, but have yet to upend a Power Five opponent.
Both foes up north will be going against a Bruin team still in search of the right players to sustain success in their reality.
Freshman center Aday Mara, who started six of UCLA’s previous seven games coming into last weekend, played just two minutes off the bench against Oregon State and didn’t even see the floor against Oregon.
“He got a chance to play against Oregon State and gave up five points faster than I can go to the bathroom,” Cronin said. “It’s not that he’s not trying, but we can’t win if we give up points that easy.”
In Mara’s absence, freshman forward Berke Buyuktuncel earned his first two starts since mid-November and went 7-for-10 from the field.
His emergence has occurred alongside that of another.
Seeing 19 minutes or more in each of the Bruins’ last three bouts, freshman guard/forward Brandon Williams has made shots at an 11-for-15 clip, becoming a top bench option in the rotation.
He hasn’t dodged the pains that come with it, evidenced by his team-high five turnovers in Eugene, but Williams said he sees growth happening regardless.
“Being able to read the defense, the game slows for me,” Williams said. “But (I’m) playing hard, playing with toughness every minute I’m on the floor, trying to do the dirty things nobody else will do.”
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