The Most Critical Part of UCLA's Win Over Idaho State

One aspect of the UCLA Bruins' win over Idaho State was particularly impressive.

Nov 20, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) is defended by Idaho State Bengals guard Jaedyn Brown (4) in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins didn't make it look all that pretty on Wednesday night, defeating Idaho State by a score of 84-70.

Yes, the final result is nice, but UCLA opened up a 27-point second-half lead at one point and allowed a far inferior opponent to eke its way back into the game.

Nevertheless, the Bruins improved to 4-1 with the victory, and we should probably focus on one key positive for the squad in the win: their three-point shooting.

Perimeter shooting had been a critical issue for UCLA over its first four games. Even in its 40-point triumph over Lehigh last Friday, the Bruins went just 3-of-13 from beyond the arc.

But against Idaho State, UCLA connected on nine of its 14 long-range attempts in what was, by far, its best shooting effort of the season.

Tyler Bilodeau went 4-of-4 from downtown, and Eric Dailey Jr. went 2-for-3.

Let's not get it twisted: the Bruins are still a work in progress from deep. They are making just 31.7 percent of their three-pointers this season, which ranks 205th in the country.

It's not far off from last year when UCLA finished 213th in the nation in three-point shooting in what ended up being a 16-17 campaign.

This is definitely an area in which the Bruins need to show dramatic improvement in order for anyone to take them seriously as legitimate contenders in the Big Ten, but Wednesday evening represented a major step forward for the team.

UCLA brought in four significant transfers for the 2024-25 campaign with the hope that the incoming talents would bolster their NCAA Tournament chances.

The Bruins entered the year ranked 22nd in the country, but a loss to New Mexico instantly dropped them out of the top 25.

The problem is that UCLA has not placed an incredible emphasis on outside shooting, which was clear in its defeat at the hands of New Mexico when it shot 5-of-23 from distance.

But again, baby steps. Beating Idaho State is expected, but it's the little things the Bruins did in the process that made the victory more impressive.

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