UCLA hit the road for the second time this season when it traveled to play Stanford on Thursday night in what felt like a ‘re-do.’ The Bruins’ first road trip to Las Vegas ended with two losses, anchored by what coach Mick Cronin summed up as atrocious defensive efforts.
The ‘re-do’ went a lot better, maybe better than expected, as the Bruins raced to a 17-0 lead to open Pac-12 play with an 80-66 victory over the Cardinal.
“Your first road game is your scariest road game, especially with our freshmen,” Cronin said Thursday night. “I was really happy with the way we started. We rode that the rest of the way.”
It’s hard to imagine UCLA having anything near the same start Sunday against Oregon (4-4), but the Bruins have been building their defense to be more dynamic, highlighted by a press that helped force Stanford into seven turnovers in the opening five minutes.
“We’ve been practicing (the press). There’s so much to teach. The press is the last thing, then a half-court zone. That’s coming,” Cronin said.
It’s the new-look Bruins (6-2) with more athletic players at Cronin’s disposal. Amari Bailey, Adem Bona, Dylan Andrews and Abramo Canka are lean, long freshmen who complement Mr. Defense Jaylen Clark.
At the other end, UCLA shot 59% from the field against Stanford. It was even higher in the first half.
“It was all ball movement,” Cronin said. “We shoot 63% in the first half. David (Singleton) missed four wide-open 3s. Jaime (Jaquez) and Adem missed dunks.”
QUICK LOOK AT OREGON
The Ducks are coming off a 74-67 win over Villanova and a 74-60 win over Washington State in their Pac-12 opener. The team is led by N’Faly Dante and Will Richardson, both averaging just over 14 points per game this season.
The Ducks have struggled to defend the 3-pointer, allowing opponents to shoot an average of 34% from beyond the arc.
Oregon has won the past four meetings against UCLA, including two regular-season contests last year. The Bruins last defeated Oregon on Feb. 23, 2019, at home after overcoming a 19-point second-half deficit.
WATCHING THE MINUTES
Of course, there’s always something to take away from a game, win or loss. Cronin pointed the finger at himself when looking at the minutes Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell played.
“I gotta get Tyger out of there. He’s playing too much. Jaime, too,” Cronin said. “They gotta play 33 or 32 minutes. They can’t play 37. That’s my fault. I gotta give those guys more rest.”
UCLA had a 22-point lead in the second half that dwindled to eight with four minutes to play. Cronin again pointed at himself claiming he knew the guys were tired.
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“Even 32 minutes for Amari, a freshman in his first (Pac-12) road game, I thought he got tired in the second half,” Cronin added. “We gotta be able to play more guys to maintain our intensity. That’s on me. I should’ve put them in and I didn’t.”
McCLENDON BACK SOON
Thursday night, while speaking about practicing the press, Cronin gave an update about Will McClendon, who could return against Oregon or next Saturday in a nonconference game versus Denver.
“Will practicing now, it allows us to press more,” he said. “Hopefully he’ll play soon. It could be Sunday. If not, it’ll be (against) Denver.”
The redshirt freshman has yet to make his UCLA debut after suffering an ACL injury before last year’s season began.
UCLA’s Will McClendon primed to contribute after recovery from ACL injury
Oregon (4-4, 1-0) at No. 21 UCLA (6-2, 1-0)
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Pauley Pavilion
TV/Radio: ESPN/AM 570