Instant Takeaways from UCLA's Physical Win Over Arizona

Here's what stood out to me in the gritty opening game win.

Jan 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin instructs players on the court during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What a way to tip things off in the 2026-2027 college basketball season.

In a fantastic game that came down to the wire, UCLA was able to escape with a crucial season-opening win over a very talented and physical Arizona team, winning 84-75. The Bruins got off to a lead quickly and managed to maintain it throughout the duration of the game.

There were huge expectations for this UCLA team, and through one contest, they are proving to be as talented as advertised. Here's what stood out to me in the gritty opening -game win.

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) shoots the ball against the UCF Knights in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This Team Will Be Fun

One thing was abundantly clear: this team will be a lot of fun to watch this season. There's a variety of different players on this team who can lead the Bruins in scoring on any given night. While it wasn't freshman Nikola Kusturica’s most efficient night, he's going to have nights where he does excel in scoring, as will many other Bruins.

No matter what type of college basketball fan you are, the Bruins offer something for everybody. On any given night, you'll see the Bruins display tough, physical defense, mixed with high-flying, explosive scoring, which makes this team a serious contender in March.

Physical and Tough

It was a physical matchup in Las Vegas, and Mick Cronin’s Bruins looked every bit up for the challenge. Arizona's frontcourt was the cause for concern heading into the matchup, and UCLA's physicality proved to be enough to hold them off.

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts against the UConn Huskies in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite not having the height advantage, UCLA was able to win the rebounding battle by a single board thanks to their physical play. It’s clear that this team is coached by Mick Cronin, as the toughness and defensive grit showed all night long. This Bruins defense may be a very serious problem for opposing teams moving forward, as they ended with seven blocks and five steals, and overall forced Arizona to shoot just 36.7% from the field and 23.3% from deep.

UCLA's Margin of Win Could Have Been Higher

As close a game as it was, UCLA showed the ability to win by a larger margin than they actually did. If it wasn't for Arizona's Ivan Kharchenkov and his 38 points, the Wildcats could have been in big trouble much earlier on. UCLA also didn't shoot the ball very effectively, as they ended the night shooting 38% overall and 34.5% from three.

While it's an exceptional win against an exceptional team to begin the season, there are quite a few things UCLA will need to clean up moving forward if they want to continue on the right track.

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