Coach Mick Cronin’s roster is full of talent.
From junior forward Tyler Bilodeau, sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr., sophomore guard Sebastian Mack and more – the UCLA men’s basketball coach has no shortage of potential. But the quest for a 12th national championship stays looming over the squad’s shoulders as it works to piece together its talent-teeming – yet starless – roster.
“We don’t have anybody that was an all-league player last year – in any league,” Cronin said. “That is just the truth.”
UCLA defeated Gonzaga on Dec. 28 at the Intuit Dome by just three points, in a game that went back and forth throughout. The Bruins never held a firm lead, and it was anyone’s game from tip-off to the final buzzer.
The Bruins’ scoring offense is ranked 169th in the nation, averaging just 75.9 points per game. Three of UCLA’s last four contests have come against teams nationally ranked among the top-25. But the team’s competition will only intensify as the quest for glory in March slowly nears.
The squad is now set to enter a 16-game stretch solely consisting of Big Ten teams – four of which are currently ranked in the top 25 nationally.
“They are just bigger, literally, in the Big Ten. The players are bigger,” said Dailey Jr. “This is what we wanted … to play good teams in what I think is the best conference in college right now.”
Against Oregon on Dec. 8, Dylan Andrews’ last second 3-pointer sent UCLA back to Westwood with a win – but the junior guard’s offensive production has dramatically decreased since. He’s gone 3-for-24 in the past four affairs – against notable opponents in North Carolina, Gonzaga, Nebraska and Michigan.
Andrews was one of Cronin’s standout players last season – particularly after his production through the postseason – averaging team-high figures in 12.9 points and 3.7 assists per game through the season. Those figures have taken a significant dip this season – Cronin’s starting point guard now posts 7.2 points a game to rank fifth among all UCLA scorers.
Entering the season, UCLA’s offense took a hit after Adem Bona cut his time in Westwood short and was drafted into the NBA. However, the Bruins made up for it with a defense that ranks No. 5 in the nation in forced turnovers per game and aided the team to a top-25 national ranking six weeks into the season.
“We can really be a national championship team,” said junior guard Skyy Clark. “Having that momentum grow into confident plays will be really good for us.”
And while UCLA’s scoring defense is ranked No. 12 in the nation, it allowed Michigan to nearly post triple-digits in its 94-75 upset victory Tuesday night. Forcing turnovers has been the Bruins’ forte this season, but against the Wolverines, it wasn’t enough to avoid surrendering their largest scoring tally of the year.
“I’m frustrated with my players and my staff, and it’s been this way all year with this team,” Cronin said. “I told them, ‘The toughest guy in the room can’t be me everyday. It can’t.’”
UCLA’s second half defense has also proven a point of vulnerability, conceding more than 40 points through the final 20 minutes in the past two games. Even when UCLA recorded its highest score since 2016 against Prairie View A&M – posting 111 points – the Panthers still managed 75 points over the Bruin defense.
A beacon of hope for UCLA’s recent woes appears to be Aday Mara. The 7-foot-3 sophomore center does not get the same minutes as those like Bilodeau and senior guard Kobe Johnson, but is efficient while he is on the court. In UCLA’s loss against Nebraska on Jan. 4, Mara went 2-for-2 and used his height to garner two blocks in just 11 minutes.
“Aday continues to improve,” Cronin said after the game. “I’d love to play him a lot more, and it’s coming.”
An increased presence from Mara could be the change that UCLA needs to dominate. But even without Mara, Cronin’s team has the talent – they just have yet to put it all together.
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