Postgame Talk: Defense Optional as UCLA Defeats Cal Poly 108-87

The Bruins had a great offensive night but could not stop a cold against the Mustangs.

Donovan Dent (Photo credit: @UCLAMBB)

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What a perfectly stupid game to watch before heading off on vacation.

The UCLA Bruins were not very interested in playing defense against Cal Poly on Friday night. To be fair, the Mustangs were also not very interested in defense. It led to a game where both teams were able to execute pretty much whatever they wanted, complete with plenty of long three-pointers, easy drives into the lane, and free throws. That UCLA was able to win by 21 points is maybe besides the point. Or maybe none of this matters at all.

This game was the definition of a seeing-eye game, by which I mean that everyone is going to see something different from it. For some people, they will look at what UCLA did on offense as something that is becoming increasingly repeatable. Yet again, UCLA got great play from its lead guards, with Skyy Clark leading the way with 30 points on an efficient 10-19 shooting performance, including 6-12 from three. Donovan Dent wasn’t far behind, as he had a double-double with 16 points and 11 assists. Just like on Wednesday against Arizona State, you could see the vision behind this UCLA roster, and when you throw in solid performances from Tyler Bilodeau (24 points on 7-9 shooting), Jamar Brown (14 points on a wildly-efficient 6-7 shooting night), and Trent Perry (12 points), you have a recipe for success. The Bruins shot 57.4% from the field, including 42.9% from three, and my biggest takeaway on that front is that the Bruins should consider shooting more threes in general, as they have a host of very capable shooters who can light it up from deep and really stretch defenses thin.

Dent’s game in particular continues to look improved, and I think a large part of this is an improved familiarity with the rest of the team. Dent is getting better at understanding when to attack the defense, and the rest of the team is getting better at understanding how to move off-ball to best maximize Dent’s attacking style. Clark, in particular, has developed some strong chemistry with Dent, with Clark understanding how to flow into an advantageous shooting position and provide Dent with a great safety valve. The combination of Dent, Clark, and Bilodeau is a scoring trio that can compete in most games, and if the Bruins can use these next few cupcake games to continue to build chemistry, you could visualize the team going on a run through Big Ten conference play.

Of course, the flip side of this is that UCLA’s defense is still a problem. In particular, UCLA’s post problem found a new nadir in this game, as Xavier Booker and Steven Jamerson combined for five total minutes, in large part because neither post could effectively defend against Cal Poly’s five-out offense. With neither post offering much resistance on defense or any positives on offense, it is understandable that Mick Cronin decided that the best course of action was not to force a square peg into a round hole and instead went smaller as well, playing Bilodeau more at the five. At the same time, Brandon Williams and Jamar Brown saw plenty more time on the court. Reader ArmyBruin mentioned that Michigan would not have taken their bigs out to counter Cal Poly’s playstyle, and while I don’t disagree, I do think it is important to note that UCLA’s bigs are not game-warping talents like Michigan possesses (I also think Mara would struggle in this type of game defensively, as the Mustangs’ pace and spacing would put him in some uncomfortable positions).

That said, the lack of post-play also wouldn’t have helped the defense much, as UCLA was much too lackadaisical for large stretches of this game. As Cronin mentioned in the postgame, the team was unprepared for the speed at which Cal Poly wanted to play, specifically the quick trigger with which the Mustangs wanted to shoot, and that led to a lot of bad closeouts and open (if deep) shots for the opponent. The Bruins adjusted in the second half (Cal Poly went from shooting 58.3% in the first half to “only” 44.4% in the second half), but it was not an ideal performance, and the team will almost assuredly face better offensive teams than the one they played in this game.

One final thought: Eric Dailey was “better” in this game, but he’s still pretty lost at the moment. I think he’s struggling with a change in the pecking order compared to last year, where he established himself early as one of the main offensive players. On this team, things run through Dent, and Dailey is still floating, trying to find ways to effectively contribute. UCLA does not need Dailey to be an offensive force, but they do need him to grab rebounds, play defense, and stay under control on offense. The second half featured Dailey starting to figure that out, but he still has a way to go on that front.

In either case, this is the last you’ll be hearing from me this year. I’m off on vacation for the next few weeks, so I’ll be back for the Maryland game in a few weeks. Be good and kind to each other.

Go Bruins!

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