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- After Mick Cronin challenged his players to play tougher, No. 19 UCLA responded with a commanding 86-46 victory over Presbyterian.
- Skyy Clark led the Bruins’ offensive onslaught with 22 points on nine-for-11 shooting, while UCLA posted its best shooting percentage in seven seasons under Cronin.
- Holding Presbyterian to 33.3% shooting while outrebounding the Blue Hose 33-25, UCLA demonstrated the defensive intensity Cronin demanded.
You want effort?
Trent Perry followed one sneaky steal with another in a span of less than a minute.
You want defensive intensity?
Xavier Booker stepped in front of his man, rising to block a dunk.
You want offensive efficiency?
Skyy Clark blew by one helpless defender after another on the way to repeated driving layups.
Three days after Mick Cronin used a lineup change to challenge his players to be tougher, to play some defense, to show they cared, the UCLA Bruins provided a retort.
Hey, coach, take a look at us now.
Bringing the intensity and building a massive early cushion thanks to strong offense and rebounding, the No. 19 Bruins unloaded any lingering frustrations during an 86-46 victory over Presbyterian on Friday night at Pauley Pavilion.
Would UCLA football recruits, former players and others associated with the program prefer that the Bruins play in the Rose Bowl or at SoFi Stadium? We ask them.
“The last couple of games, our team attitude has been something I could be proud of,” Cronin said. “It’s amazing how guys play better when they have the right attitude and the right approach.”
Cronin went back to his normal starting lineup with the exception of forward Tyler Bilodeau, who was out after spraining his left knee in practice Thursday. Brandon Williams replaced Bilodeau and delivered his best performance of the season with 11 points and seven rebounds.
“Best game of his career as a Bruin,” Cronin said of a player he labeled as arguably his best defender.
The game lacked drama after UCLA (5-1) built a double-digit lead in less than 4½ minutes while clobbering the Blue Hose (3-5) on the boards and making nearly every shot. Clark made his first six shots — five on driving layups — on the way to a game-high 22 points on nine-for-11 shooting.
“I thought we responded the correct way,” Clark said. “I thought we had two really good practices, not just as a starting five but as a team, and I felt like that carried over into how we started the game.”
It was a strong effort across the board for the Bruins, who shot 62.7% while holding Presbyterian to 33.3% and also outrebounded the Blue Hose, 33-25. UCLA’s shooting percentage was its best in seven seasons under Cronin, topping the 62.1% it recorded against Iowa last season. The record was largely a result of making so many layups while scoring 50 points in the paint.
“It tends to lead to a high percentage,” Cronin said.
Point guard Donovan Dent, the last of UCLA’s regular starters to enter the game against Sacramento State on Tuesday, redeemed himself with some offensive sorcery against Presbyterian. Making his usual array of driving layups and floating jumpers, Dent finished with 14 points, five assists and only one turnover in 24 minutes.
“Donny’s effort and attitude was awesome,” Cronin said.
UCLA begins game with four regular starters on the bench and the Bruins go on to rout an overmatched Sacramento State.
Jonah Pierce scored 13 points to lead the Blue Hose, a tiny South Carolina-based outfit out of the Big South Conference that lost to California by only 10 points this week.
Presbyterian didn’t come nearly as close against the Bruins while appearing completely outmanned. Cronin praised guard Jamar Brown for infusing toughness with nine points, seven rebounds, three steals and 10 deflections off the bench and said forward Eric Dailey Jr. contributed in far more important ways than his seven points and four rebounds.
“Every team’s got to have a guy that’s not afraid to challenge his teammates, and he’s been challenging his teammates,” Cronin said of Dailey, “so although he didn’t score much tonight, he’s the reason some of these guys are playing better.”
Explaining that he handpicked his players for their attitude as well as their talent and fit on the roster, Cronin said he has reiterated the importance of focus and humility with a big assist from a former Bruin who now plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves and addressed the Bruins at a recent practice.
“Jaylen Clark told everyone on my team, ‘No disrespect to any of you guys, but if you get to the NBA, nobody’s going to run a play for any one of you,’” Cronin said. “‘So you better be good at the things he’s telling you if you want to have a chance.’”
Based on what unfolded Friday, it appeared that the Bruins have been listening.
“We’ve got great guys, we’ve just got to make sure we stay humble,” Cronin said. “We can’t not rebound because we think we’re too good, we don’t need to, because that’s how you get your ass beat by Arizona.”
