UCLA’s first exhibition offered an early look at how Mick Cronin may want to manage his rotation this season, and the biggest takeaway was that the Bruins already seem to have some clear answers off the bench.
That doesn’t mean the night should be treated like a finished product. Eric Dailey Jr. scored 25 points, Nikola Kusturica added a defensive showcase with two blocks and five steals, and all of that stood out. But it’s still October, and the more useful read came from the coaching choices Cronin made as much as the box score itself.
One of the clearest developments was Filip Jovic sliding into the role of first man off the bench. He finished with 18 minutes, nearly matching Azavier Robinson for the most minutes among the reserves, and made the most of that run. Jovic shot 3-for-6 from the field, pulled down eight rebounds and scored 10 points, giving UCLA a steady, versatile option who can help across the floor while also spelling starting center Xavier Booker.
Robinson also made a strong case for a bigger role. The Butler transfer was in the mix from the opening minutes and brought real defensive energy right away.
He logged 19 minutes, shot 4-for-9 from the field, and finished with three rebounds, three assists and 10 points. His length and activity on the perimeter were easy to notice, and if he keeps producing like he did against Cal Baptist, his minutes should only grow.
The point guard situation also stood out. Trent Perry ran into early foul trouble, which opened the door for Jaylen Petty to handle more of the ball-handling duties. Petty has experience at point guard from last season at Texas Tech, where he played under now-Charlotte Hornet Christian Anderson all year.
When Perry is not on the floor, Petty appears to be the one Cronin will lean on to carry most of the offensive load. That was reflected in the numbers too: Petty played a team-high 28 minutes.
In Other News...
UCLA's 7-0 Start Has Fans Asking One Huge Playoff Question
UCLAs unbeaten start rolled on Saturday with a 28-10 win over Michigan State, pushing the Bruins to 7-0 and keeping the conversation around their season pointed well beyond the usual October milestones. The defense again set the tone, with Donavyn Pellot, Sammy Omosigho and Jalen Woods turning in notable performances, while the running backs powered the offense with 245 rushing yards and multiple touchdowns. Ty Dieffenbach also did his part, completing 18 of 31 passes for 198 yards and a touchdown.
What makes the Bruins more than just an early-season surprise is how complete they have looked while the schedule gets tougher and the attention gets louder. Fans are already asking the obvious question about College Football Playoff legitimacy, and UCLA has given them enough evidence to make the debate real rather than hypothetical. The next stretch will go a long way toward showing whether this start is simply impressive or something much bigger. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Win Over Michigan State Looks Different Under Film Review
UCLAs 28-10 win over Michigan State looked pretty clean on the scoreboard, but the postgame picture gets a little more layered once Pro Football Focus gets hold of the film. The review process goes snap by snap and is designed to strip out the usual noise, giving the Bruins a more objective read on how individual players actually performed rather than how the game felt in real time.
PFF uses a 1-100 scale, with 85 or higher tagged as NFL-caliber, so those numbers can reshape how a strong win is viewed inside the program. The grades assigned after this game are not necessarily final, either, since they can still be adjusted later in the week, which leaves some room for the story of UCLAs performance to keep evolving even after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Proved Its Backfield Can Survive One Scary Wayne Knight Moment
Wayne Knight has been the engine of UCLAs ground game this season, leading the Big Ten with 12 rushing touchdowns and stacking up three 100-yard performances along the way. So when he left last weeks game against Michigan State with an injury, it had the look of a potentially costly moment for a backfield that has leaned so heavily on his production.
Instead, the Bruins found enough balance to keep rolling in a 28-10 win, with Anthony Woods and Jaivian Thomas both helping shoulder the load when the offense needed it most. Bob Chesney said Knights injury is not serious, and he pointed to the way the backs handled the situation as another sign that UCLAs rushing game is built on more than one runner. [Read more 🡒]