LOS ANGELES — Either Mick Cronin was trying to prove he is just as fickle as the college basketball stratosphere thinks he is, or he was simply experimenting.
After an unexpected nailbiter in UCLA’s season opener, he said he would bench anyone at any time if they blew a defensive assignment. After the Bruins’ loss to No. 4 Arizona on Friday night, he said he needed to develop his bench.
Both scenarios could explain why, on Tuesday, Cronin rolled out four reserves and forward Eric Dailey Jr. to start UCLA’s game against Sacramento State. Regardless of the reason, the 19th-ranked Bruins cruised to a 79-48 victory.
The lone unchanged starter, Dailey, led the team with 15 points. Xavier Booker Jr. scored 12 off the bench and Trent Perry added 11.
The Bruins (4-1) had another unconvincing win against an unconvincing opponent.
The new-look starting lineup jumped out to a 13-0 lead. Jamar Brown drew an and-one opportunity off a nifty Euro-step in transition. Perry drew an and-one on a late shot clock 3-pointer.
One-by-one, the normal starters checked in, but it took until the 12:37 mark of the first half for Donovan Dent to see the floor. On his first touch, he found Skyy Clark for a corner 3-pointer.
After trailing 22-4, Sacramento State (3-3) briefly cut the margin to 13, but UCLA’s reserves turned starters kicked back into gear. Brown knocked down a 3-pointer, then found Booker for a layup. Dent drove and dished to Perry for a corner 3-pointer and to Williams for another to end the half.
Cronin switched it up in the second half, reinstating his normal starting lineup. But after a 5-0 run from the Hornets, a hockey-style shift ensued. The Hornets ultimately scored nine unanswered points before Dailey broke the surge with a putback layup.
Dent’s first points of the game came at the 15:03 mark of the second half on an and-one layup. He missed that free throw. He missed the front-end of another pair of freebies minutes later. He missed both attempts at the line on his next trip.
His body language and effort was disconcerting throughout. Either he didn’t feel the need to exert energy because of the competition level or he’s still recovering from the muscle strain and illness that have limited his practice time and game availability early on this season.
Whatever the reason, he wasn’t himself, and he hasn’t been all season.
After scoring just three points against Arizona, Perry resumed his string of positive play, taking advantage of another increased opportunity. The releases on both of his made shots from 3-point range were smooth. The exuberance he showed following Williams’ 3-pointer at the end of the first half was visible. His joy and motor can act as an example for his teammates, many of whom are still searching for a spark.
Perry’s development has been one of the few positives five games into UCLA’s season.
Dailey continued to show he didn’t lose a step during his month out. Booker continued to improve in his adjustment to playing center.
Apart from that, Tuesday’s game was one of those nonconference matchups Cronin despises. One that’s riddled with sloppiness. One filled with more mistakes than takeaways. One that looked more like an intramural rec game than a college basketball contest.
More to come on this story.