UCLA Basketball: Why Bruins Have Improved Across Last 3 Games
Though UCLA basketball will be disappointed they could not close out a win against No. 12 Arizona, the team has still showed significant improvement over their last three games. The Bruins originally held the lead for much of the game, but could not maintain it, and ended up losing 77-71.
Still, it was a positive sign to see UCLA hold a 19-point lead and keep things so close, especially given how poorly they were playing just over a week ago when they were on a four-game losing streak.
Coach Mick Cronin explained the improvement after the Arizona loss, citing that most players simply need the practice and training.
"I’m not like everybody else. I’m a coach. I’m a professional," Cronin said postgame, per UCLA Communications. "Guys are trained or untrained. Unless you are a superstar and don’t need training and can be one-and-done, I would harken back to when Sean [Miller] was here and he had [Nico] Mannion, [Josh] Green, Zeke Nnaji. All first-round picks. How’d that go for him? He didn’t have time to train them. It’s a very rare guy, like maybe [Deandre] Ayton or somebody like [inaudible]. Ninety-nine percent of freshmen and young kids are inexperienced and need training. We’re gaining that, so we’re improving. That’s just the way it is.”
It's natural that a young team like the Bruins would have a learning curve and need the experience, but of course UCLA is not accustomed to seeing some of the struggles their team has gone through.
Overall, the Bruins are looking up the past three games. They're 2-1, with wins over Washington and Arizona State, and a narrow road loss to Arizona. They've also scored at least 68 points in each of the last three games, after failing to hit the 60 mark during their four-game losing streak.
Look for the Bruins to have a strong chance at rebounding from this loss against their rivals USC, who have been struggling as of late.
