Faced with superior opposition that allowed him to freely change lineups, UCLA trainer Mick Cronin tried a lot of mixes and matches on Tuesday afternoon.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway was that a three-guard lineup could be the right call after the ongoing struggles of centers Xavier Booker and Stephen Jamerson II.
“We have to find a way to play with our best players and win, no matter who they are, because this is not Little League,” Cronin said after his team's match. victory with a score of 97-65 above the University of California Riverside at Pauley Pavilion. “Either you have to give us rebounding and defense, or someone else has to play.”
The leading candidates for a larger role, based on what happened with the Highlanders, appear to be backups. Trent PerryJamar Brown and Brandon Williams.
Perry was a playmaker with his goals and smart passes. Brown did a little of everything with vigor. Williams showed great durability as the second big in a small lineup that also featured Tyler Bilodeau, who was a potent offensive force against a team that offered little defensive resistance.
“The biggest thing I care about is winning,” said Bilodeau, who scored a career-high 34 points on 12 of 19 shots and grabbed six rebounds. “So that’s all we need to do to get it done.”
Cronin later joked that Bilodeau shouldn't have missed because he was unnecessarily making fade throws.
“They don't double [team]Cronin said of the Highlanders, “so I said, 'Man, you've got one night here where they'll just let you keep dribbling the ball until you score, so go have fun.' Keep going around the hoop until you score.” »
Guard Skye Clark added 14 points to help UCLA (10-3) notch its third straight win before the long winter break. Forward Osiris Grady finished with 20 points for the Highlanders (6-8), shooting 42.6 percent to the Bruins' 50 percent.
UCLA guard Skye Clark meets UC Riverside guard De'Undra Pertite Jr. during the Bruins' win on Tuesday.
(Ian Lim/UCLA Athletics)
The game's biggest revelations came from UCLA's bench. Perry was arguably the best player on offense, running the offense at a high level with 14 points, seven assists and zero turnovers in 24 minutes. Cronin used multiple lineups in the second half, with Perry and starting point guard Donovan Dent (seven points and three assists in 19 minutes).
“With a three-back line-up, we push the transition a lot more,” Perry said. “I mean, we're just finding a rhythm going into the Big Ten.”
Brown contributed across the board with four points, seven rebounds and four steals in 24 minutes.
“An amazing portal find,” Cronin said of the transfer from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. “Great stamina. He's a winning player.”
The biggest factor for Williams was his defense during a performance in which he recorded three points, one rebound and one steal in 18 minutes. The big question was whether he gave more than the player whose place he took.
Booker finished with six points and one rebound in 13 minutes, posting his second consecutive subpar performance after the matchup against Cal Poly limited him to three minutes. Jamerson played just seven fitful minutes, once being yanked after 11 seconds due to an inability to keep the Highlanders from getting to the rim with ease.
“We have to get better,” Cronin said of his centers. – I just talked to them about it.
UC Riverside made repeated mistakes leaving Bilodeau open in the first half, and the forward made the Highlanders regret his decision, making five of nine shots en route to 13 points. After being UCLA's starting center last year, Bilodeau said he would be happy to return to that role if his coach needed it.
“Tyler would probably tell you that he gets more open shots when he plays five,” Cronin said, “because the other team's five is guarding him.”
Cronin said the challenge that comes with downsizing is the need to be an elite offensive team, which is territory the Bruins could move closer to. Their offensive efficiency ranks 27th nationally according to basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy. That's their best showing since they were a No. 21 seed in 2022-23, which ended in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament after season-ending injuries to Jaylen Clark and Adem Bona.
If this is the best version of the Bruins, Cronin appears ready to handle it.
“The only thing that matters is who you become, not the last game or the previous game, so we're looking,” Cronin said. “Like any team, it’s not about who you are now, but who you are at the end and can you get enough wins along the way?”
