LOS ANGELES — UCLA head coach Mick Cronin doesn’t view the Bruins’ four-spot as a traditional power forward, rather he refers to the players that occupy that position as “big guards.”
That was evident Wednesday night as Eric Dailey Jr. and Tyler Bilodeau seemed confident stepping out and showcasing their range. Dailey hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first half and Bilodeau was 4 for 4 from behind the arc. He knocked down consecutive 3-point shots down the stretch in the second half to help the Bruins pull away from Idaho State in an 84-70 win.
Bilodeau had 20 points and Dailey added 16 and seven rebounds. The Bruins (4-1) were 20 for 74 from long range before Wednesday’s explosion. They forced just 12 turnovers out of the Bengals (2-4), but made up for it by shooting 9 for 14 (64.3%) from 3-point range.
Through the Bruins’ shooting woes, Cronin hasn’t shown much concern, instead citing the law of averages and expecting it would soon reset itself. He teaches his teams to practice winning without making shots, he says, because if you can do that, then when you make them, you win easy.
UCLA did just that Wednesday, on its way to a third straight victory.
Dailey began the game with a fast-break layup and a silky mid-range jumper, before banking in a fall-away 3-point attempt as the shot-clock expired. When William Kyle III checked in for Dailey, Bilodeau moved into that aforementioned “big guard” role, immediately making a 3-point shot from the left wing.
Sebastian Mack might as well fit that “big guard” archetype, too, as the 6-foot-3 slasher plays well above his height. His decisive drives were rewarded with whistles, and he went 15 for 16 from the free-throw line, scoring a team-high 21 points.
While Mack continued to come off the bench, he entered the game early for Lazar Stefanovic, and quickly asserted himself with that penetration. UCLA took an 11-point lead after a pair of Mack’s free throws and then trapped Bengals guard Quentin Meza, which forced an Idaho State timeout. On the next possession, Mack drove to the basket for a finger roll before feeding Dailey for his second 3-pointer.
In the early parts of the season, as most of UCLA’s roster is still figuring out its roles, Mack seems comfortable in his. He wastes no time getting his feet stuck into the rhythm of a game when he checks in.
With Idaho State keeping things somewhat close in comparison to UCLA’s previous nonconference home games, the Bruins shortened their rotation. Freshman Trent Perry played just 16 minutes and Aday Mara played two minutes after an awkward traveling violation got him pulled by Cronin. Kobe Johnson got into foul trouble, explaining his lack of playing time (15 minutes), while Dylan Andrews returned from his left groin injury by logging 12 minutes.
Two nonconference home games remain before UCLA’s first Big Ten matchup against Washington on Dec. 3. The next one comes Friday when the Bruins host Cal State Fullerton at 7 p.m.
More to come on this story.