The beginning of the college basketball season often comes with some scrutiny.
Early matchups take place between squads with no business competing against each other, often with large talent and resource gaps.
If an upset were to happen, early overreactions are spun into rather interesting narratives.
Yet for many teams – the Bruins included – this stretch of the year begins before wins and losses are officially tracked, with exhibitions being an opportunity to test lineups and see what schemes may or may not work.
And that is exactly what UCLA men’s basketball did Wednesday night in its first of two exhibition games at Pauley Pavilion, beginning with a 100-53 victory over California Baptist, where airtight defense created instantaneous offense for the Bruins.
“Obviously we had the talent advantage tonight, but the guys did a great job of ignoring that and putting forth maximum effort, trying to get better tonight,” coach Mick Cronin said. “Better at our defensive effort, better at our communication, smarter defense.”
As a unit, the Bruins totaled 13 steals, with guard/forward Nikola Kusturica pacing the game with five takeaways, using his 6-foot-9 frame to tip passes that made for easy transition baskets. While the freshman had just 10 points – missing all six of his 3-pointers – he demonstrated his impact across the court as defensive playmaker and an on-ball facilitator, leading UCLA with six assists.
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Sophomore guard Azavier Robinson pitched in another two steals, having transferred from Butler, where he averaged 1.5 steals per game as a freshman. The former Bulldog showcased his point-of-attack prowess all night by pressing up on opposing shot creators, with Robinson having an incredibly high motor to contest shots – including what could have been a block on a Lancer big man approaching the 3-minute mark of the first half, despite Robinson standing at just 6-foot-2.
“Zay (Robinson) is an unbelievable guard, defensively,” Cronin said. “When he goes to guard one of our players, they just pass the ball in practice. Because I don’t call a lot of fouls, I let them get after each other, and he just takes the ball from them. And that’s just his mentality. He’s unbelievable.”
When it wasn’t deflecting passes, UCLA was making timely contests to force misses and crash the glass. The Bruins finished the night with a 28-rebound advantage over the Lancers, spearheaded by nine from senior forward/center Xavier Booker – what would have been a career-high had the game been official.
Five other Bruins grabbed at least five boards, all but one of whom secured three-plus on the offensive glass. Freshman guard/forward Joe Philon III saw ample minutes early with 13 points and seven rebounds – three of which were offensive, including an athletic tip-in on a missed three past the seven-minute mark in the second half.
“I’m just a hustle guy, and I’m going to play as hard as I can and just do whatever I can to win,” Philon said. “On any given night, it doesn’t matter how big the person is in the paint – use my speed, use any advantage I can to get a rebound and make winning plays for my team.”
The Bruins’ offensive success was mostly a product of their defense – earning transition opportunities off of strong pressure. The unit as a whole shot just 44.7% from the field, with only two players drilling multiple perimeter shots. Cronin said the squad took too many unnecessary shots – something he wants to address before opening night while also not stripping his players of their aggressiveness.
Nonetheless, as expected for an exhibition game for a team with over half its roster being new names, most of the night was experimental on offense, with a more fluid and less-structured approach.
UCLA’s shot diet came from the perimeter early, with sophomore guard Jaylen Petty and senior guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. combining for 19 total 3-point attempts. While Petty went 2-for-10 – showing a willingness to shoot from any distance, even with a contest in his face – Dailey showed prominence immediately, going 7-for-9 from deep with comfort on the catch.
“It was what the defense gave me,” Dailey said. “It was pack-line defense. They were behind the 3-point line. I’ve been working on that shot. And my teammates found me open. It was just on me to shoot the ball – make or miss, I didn’t really care if it was going in or not. Just get that tempo up because that was the best shot at the time.”
While there were technicalities to be addressed on both sides of the ball, the Bruins walk out of their exhibition game with confidence that they can be competitive against anyone.
With many faces putting on the blue and gold for the first time, practically every Bruin was able to flash some level of impact Wednesday night, especially the young players.
“Their heart – these two guys (Kusturica and Philon) are really tough,” Dailey said. “I’d say that about all the freshmen we’ve got – they are tough. These two guys with me are about the team, and that is the most important thing.”
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