UCLA Bruins Have Growing Concern in Major Area

The UCLA Bruins are struggling in one massive area this season, and it could severely hurt their chances in March.

Nov 4, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) drives to the basket as Rider Broncs forward Ife West-Ingram (7) tries to defend during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins saw their 10-game winning streak come to an end last weekend, as they fell to the North Carolina Tar Heels by a score of 76-74.

And you know what? Overall, UCLA did not play poorly.

The Bruins shot 49.1 percent from the floor. They made nine of their 18 3-point attempts. Both Tyler Bilodeau and Sebastian Mack scored over 20 points.

However, UCLA did struggle in one vital area: free-throw shooting.

The Bruins went 13-of-22 from the charity stripe, and you can do the math: they lost by two points. If they just would have made three more of those foul shots, they would have emerged with a win over North Carolina.

This is not a new thing, either. UCLA is shooting just 68.5 percent from the free-throw line on the season, which is good for 270th in the country.

That is simply not going to cut it for a team hoping to go on a deep NCAA Tournament run.

Foul shooting is paramount. Just ask the two-time defending champion Connecticut Huskies, who shot a very solid 76.1 and 74.3 percent, respectively, in their back-to-back title-winning campaigns.

Against strong competition, games are usually close. Case in point, UCLA's game against the Tar Heels.

You can generally get away with poor free-throw shooting against Lehigh and Prairie View A&M. But when you are playing some of the better clubs in the country, you better make sure you are converting on your opportunities from the line.

Trent Perry is currently the only Bruins player with over 20 free-throw attempts that is shooting 80 percent from the stripe. That just isn't acceptable.

Heck, even Bilodeau, who has been terrific for UCLA thus far, is making just 67.6 percent of his foul shots. Bilodeau is a lifetime 78 percent shooter from the line, so he needs to get right in that area.

The Bruins are improving in many other aspects. Their 3-point shooting has come a long way, and defensively, they are absolutely brilliant.

But if UCLA doesn't rectify this massive issue, it could find itself exiting very early in March, or not even making the Big Dance at all.

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