Bruins' Cronin Had High Praise for Star Dailey

UCLA sophomore guard Eric Dailey Jr. is quickly budding into an elite playmaker after another impressive performance on Thursday night against Oregon. Coach Mick Cronin spoke on how dedicated Dailey is to being great and how it has paid off.

Jan 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) reacts in the first half against the Oregon Ducks at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images / Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (16-6, 7-4) dominated on Thursday night as they pummeled the No. 16 Oregon Ducks (16-5, 5-5) by a score of 78-52 at home with sophomore guard Eric Dailey Jr. putting together one of his best performances of the season. His growth has been a difference maker for this team.

Dailey scored a game-high 21 points on 8-9 shooting and a perfect 3-3 from 3-point range. He completely eviscerated the Ducks defense to open the ballgame, scoring nine points in the blink of an eye. Not enough can be said about Dailey's dedication and will to win for the Bruins this year.

Following the blowout win over the Ducks to complete the two-game season sweep, Bruins coach Mick Cronin could not have given more praise to the job that Dailey has done this season to be great. Cronin acknowledged his sophomore star as one of the top players he has ever coached.

"Eric Dailey [Jr.] was pretty dominant," Cronin said. "I say this all the time about guys I've coached, - Gym time, Eric Dailey spends more time in the gym on his shooting and he's the most dedicated guy that I've ever coached. On his diet, his rest, his commitment to what he's trying to accomplish in basketball, and it pays off for him. It doesn't surprise me when I see him do this because I've watched him since he moved to LA last May, a month early before summer school, and was in the gym two hours a day. But he was as good as you could be offensively."

After transferring from Oklahoma State after his freshman season, Dailey has taken a gigantic leap forward in all areas of his game. He joined the Bruins as one of the many new transfer players but has emerged as one of the team's most elite and consistent scorers.

When the Bruins need a basket, Dailey has been one of the go-to guys to do deliver. He is posting career-highs in almost every stat category this season, shooting just under 55% from the field, 39.3% from downtown, averaging 12.4 points, and has scored in double figures 14 times this year.

UCLA would not be having the recent success that it has been experiencing without a key player like Dailey to lead the group. Besides his stellar play, his vocal leadership to help this team respond from a four-game losing skid with a five-game win streak is what makes him such a special player.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI and @tcav30 and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.