UCLA Basketball: Crucial Statistic Shows Pathway to Bruins Success

Defense is the key.

If there's one thing that's best consistent for UCLA basketball over the last few seasons, it's their defense.

UCLA basketball has become known for its defensive efforts under head coach Mick Cronin. One statistic exemplifies this case —that the Bruins have given up less than 70 points in 48 of their past 60 games. In those 48 games, they posted a 41-7 record via UCLA Communications.

This is quite an impressive feat for the Bruins and one that explains why UCLA has a 45-18 overall record over the past two seasons heading into the Bruins' game versus USC on Saturday.

However, this isn't too surprising. UCLA has the No. 1 ranked defense among all Pac-12 teams this season and the fourteenth-best scoring defense across college basketball. 

It certainly helps that UCLA's roster has held some of the top defensive players over the last couple of seasons. This included Jaylen Clark, who was both the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. 

This season, Adem Bona has carried the torch defensively for the Bruins. Bona was already part of the All-Pac-12 Defensive Team in 2023 alongside Clark, but now he's getting national attention. Bona is a contender for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award after being named to the 15-person watchlist in early February. He was the only Pac-12 player to be nominated for the award.

Even when the Bruins were struggling this season, Bona and their defense kept them in many games. Now that they're better as a whole, the defense has helped them win eight of their last ten games.