LOS ANGELES — We’re 40 minutes into the UCLA basketball season and Mick Cronin is already displeased.
And for good reason.
In Monday night’s season opener against Eastern Washington, UCLA’s perimeter defense was listless and its rim protection non-existent. The Bruins’ guards stood stiff as drivers whooshed by. Their big men were late to help and easily baited on pump fakes. They allowed 38 points in the paint and 54% shooting from the field.
“There were so many mistakes, I’d like to fire myself,” Cronin said.
When Donovan Dent missed a wide-open dunk attempt in the second half, Cronin bit his lip. When Skyy Clark dribbled the ball off his foot, the coach threw up his hands in disbelief.
Cronin never fully broke – the season’s too young for that – but he wanted to as No. 12 UCLA (1-0) sputtered throughout an 80-74 win.
If the Bruins felt good about themselves after a pair of convincing exhibition games against West Coast powerhouses, Eastern Washington (0-1) quickly erased that confidence.
“You have to win the fight, to be able to win the game,” Cronin said. “We had no interest in getting in the ring tonight. We were too good for Eastern Washington. Cool losers, man. At everything in life.”
To their credit, the Eagles’ capitalized on the Bruins’ laziness, their wariness leading to easy baskets. Guard Isaiah Moses torched UCLA with off-the-dribble moves in the halfcourt. He came off a ball screen and knocked down a right-wing 3-pointer that gave the Eagles an 18-17 advantage. They led by as much as three after a pair of free throws from Johnny Radford.
Eastern Washington’s offense benefited from a weak perimeter defensive showing from UCLA, which gave out straight line drives like candy on Halloween.
On the other side, the Eagles’ defense vacillated between quirky zone looks. Dent, identifying this, forced transition opportunities, penetrating before the defense could set up. He Euro-stepped into a pair of and-one layups. His passing helped to break the zones, too, as he found Tyler Bilodeau on the left wing for a 3-pointer, and again at the high post for a turnaround jump shot.
Dent led all players with 21 points, adding nine assists. Bilodeau finished with 19.
UCLA’s perimeter defense didn’t improve much in the second half, but it ratcheted up the intensity to create turnovers. Clark picked up Eastern Washington’s guards in the backcourt, his activity improving on both sides. He attacked the rim in transition with a smooth crossover to give the Bruins a 54-39 lead.
When it seemed like the Bruins would pull away, the Eagles responded with a pair of baskets from point-blank range. Then consecutive 3-pointers from JoJo Anderson and Alton Hamilton IV cut the margin back to nine. Dent turned his back and lost his man on the first. Trent Perry allowed a cut through the middle of the paint leading to the assist on the second.
Dent and Bilodeau hit 3-pointers to restore a safe lead. Perry drove and dished to Bilodeau for a layup. Bilodeau scored in the short post twice more.
In the final minute, Eastern Washington got as close as six points. The Eagles never truly threatened the Bruins from the win column, but they certainly exposed a team that seemed flawless after its two preseason games.
“I played San Diego State so we’d lose in front of 10,000. We didn’t. I played (UC) Irvine because I know Russell (Turner) is a great coach, a great mid-major program. Unfortunately we won that game, easy,” Cronin said. “I knew this was coming tonight and I couldn’t stop it, so I failed miserably.”
Throughout the last week of practice, Cronin explained, his players displayed arrogance because of those results. He laid into them in the film room, on the court, at shootaround – drilling the importance of showing up every day, consistently. None of it, he said, registered.
“I thought we had high energy in practice,” Dent said, disagreeing with Cronin’s statements.
Instead, he blamed the Bruins’ energy on their mindset of “we’re just going to come in and blow them out.”
Pre-game approach, lackadaisical practicing. Regardless of the culprit, Dent and his teammates know this isn’t the standard.
“We’re a bunch of vets,” Dent said. “We should know what our job is and get our job done.”
“We got to be better,” Bilodeau added. “Can never come into a game like that. Shouldn’t happen.”
While Cronin went begrudgingly throughout UCLA’s season opener and expressed frustration in the locker room following the game, he might leave Pauley Pavilion satisfied. After a preseason bereft of the adversity he craved, he certainly got it on Monday night.
This wake-up call didn’t blemish the Bruins’ record. Rather, it could stoke the intensity and focus they bring to this season.
