LOS ANGELES — After the crowd had emptied and Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” no longer filled the UCLA men’s locker room, Dylan Andrews stood in the Intuit Dome tunnel processing it all – the junior’s first win over Gonzaga in three tries.
“Good to just come out on top,” Andrews told a group of reporters outside the locker room.
A hint of relief lingered in his tone because, yes the Bruins had beaten the Bulldogs 65-62, but Andrews hadn’t had much control over that outcome. He played just 17 minutes, was 0 of 5 from the field, and looked to create for himself in late-shot clock situations in the second half only because he was forced to.
It’s completely unfair to say the Bruins (11-2), who rose to No. 15 in the latest Associated Press poll, won Saturday in spite of Andrews. His leadership, body language and voice were invaluable.
But there’s a level of accountability that comes with owning the title of starting point guard for the UCLA Bruins.
Nobody understands that more than a kid who went to high school in Palms. Nobody cherishes it more than Andrews.
But he’s not that kid anymore.
He’s not that freshman whose late contest couldn’t deter Julian Strawther from hitting a 3-point shot that pushed Gonzaga over UCLA in the Sweet 16. He’s not that sophomore who shot 2 of 15 in a 69-65 loss to the Bulldogs in the Maui Invitational.
As a junior, he’s supposed to set an example for his teammates in games like Saturday’s. In fact, his head coach expected that and much more.
“You know, he’s the one guy that’s been in our program for three years,” Mick Cronin said at UCLA’s practice Dec. 2. “He’s probably gonna have to have a really good year … I’m not saying he’s got to be the Player of the Year in the Big Ten, but he’s got to give us production.”
Andrews is averaging 8.1 points per game and attempting just 7.4 field goals per game, down from 12.1 last season. He’s seemingly lost any semblance of confidence.
At least, that’s what his high school coach has seen while watching Bruins’ games this season.
“Just the confidence, week to week,” Colin Pfaff, who coached Andrews at Windward, told the Southern California News Group, “that’s what it feels like has wavered the most. He has great moments. Just gotta sustain those.”
Pfaff has a point. Andrews banked in the go-ahead 3-pointer in UCLA’s 73-71 win at Oregon on Dec. 8, but had just four points six days later in a 57-54 win over Arizona. Then, he followed that up with a season-high 21 points against Prairie View A&M, before going 1 for 6 from the field, scoring two points, and committing a deflating turnover with 21 seconds left in the Bruins’ 76-74 loss to North Carolina.
Saturday’s outing can be added to the list of clunkers.
“He just looks like he’s overthinking it,” Pfaff said. “When he catches it, he doesn’t even look at the rim a lot of the time.”
Andrews is a momentum kid, Pfaff explained: If he makes his first shot, he’ll feel comfortable; if he gets a steal, he’ll remain aggressive. That’s why this recent trend of fluctuation perplexes Pfaff, because Andrews ended last year on such a positive streak.
He averaged 17.1 points over the final 13 games of last season, peaking with 31- and 24-point performances in UCLA’s games in the Pac-12 Tournament.
“You would think that body of work would give him the confidence for this year,” Pfaff said. “It feels like it hasn’t so far.”
There’s a myriad of factors in play. UCLA is in its first season in the Big Ten. Seven new players are in the Bruins’ rotation. There’s the change to his role and usage. Finally, and most notably, there’s the mental side as Andrews, Pfaff said, is a pleaser, always wanting to execute his coach’s game plan and keep his teammates happy.
“You name those four things,” Pfaff projected, “there’s a lot of stress on a player. You want them playing stress free.”
Andrews said he completely understands what’s being asked of him in the offense. Maybe he’s just the type of player that gets more comfortable as the season progresses and flourishes in the second half, which he did last season. If that’s the case, the Bruins are in a good spot as his struggles haven’t negatively impacted their record.
But this year was supposed to be the breakout.
“I know I gotta improve,” he said.
The greatness Andrews displayed over the second half last season still exists. He hasn’t regressed as a player. That’s why it’s a fair bet that his struggles are a result of where he’s at mentally. He’s so cerebral that he knows his wrongdoings as they occur. Too cerebral, however, that they linger, and he struggles to escape his own beautiful basketball mind.
His slump hasn’t impacted the Bruins’ record yet, but if Andrews can’t rediscover his bliss, it may start to be a negative factor as UCLA embarks on Big Ten play.