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UCLA men’s basketball looks to snap losing streak with home matchups

UCLA men’s basketball junior guard Jaylen Clark defends USC guard Drew Peterson during the Bruins’ loss to the Trojans on Jan. 26. (Anika Chakrabarti/Photo editor)

Men's basketball


Washington
Thursday, 6 p.m.

Pauley Pavilion
FS1
Washington State
Saturday, 4 p.m.

Pauley Pavilion
Pac-12 Networks

By Gavin Carlson

Feb. 2, 2023 2:57 p.m.

Even after back-to-back defeats, coach Mick Cronin isn’t worried about UCLA’s wins and losses.

And he certainly doesn’t care about those that bet on his Bruins, metaphorically and literally.

“We don’t really talk about whether we won or lost as much as you,” Cronin said. “I understand it’s your job and the fans’ bottom line, especially if you’re on FanDuel. They get really upset with me, I’m sure, but you’ve got to focus on getting better.”

Cronin and No. 9 UCLA men’s basketball (17-4, 8-2 Pac-12) will look to remain undefeated at home when they host Washington (13-10, 5-7) on Thursday night before battling Washington State (10-13, 5-7) on Saturday evening. The Bruins are coming off their first two-game conference losing streak since February of last season, and their first-place spot in the Pac-12 standings is protected by just a half game.

Despite prioritizing performance over results, even Cronin acknowledges the magnitude of his team’s upcoming homestand.

“We’re back to being at home, and you’ve got to win at home,” Cronin said. “If you’re going to compete for a conference championship, you’ve got to win at home. If you’re trying to get a high seed in the NCAA tournament, you’ve got to try to go undefeated at home or be a one-loss team at home.”

While the blue and gold currently boasts an 11-0 record at Pauley Pavilion, its recent play on the road has weakened its stranglehold on the Pac-12’s top spot.

UCLA lost a tight battle against Arizona at the McKale Center two Saturdays ago and followed the defeat with a second-half collapse at USC last Thursday. The Bruins led by 12 at halftime in the Galen Center but were outscored 52-27 in the second half to ultimately lose to the Trojans by 13 points.

Despite the two consecutive losses, senior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. said the blue and gold is not overreacting to the skid.

“There’s no reason to get panicked or get worried about anything that’s going on,” Jaquez said. “We know how to play, we know what we need to do to win, and as long as we remember that and implement that into our offense and defense, I think we’re going to be just fine.”

The Bruins shot 35.7% from the field for the game against their crosstown rivals, including 29.6% in the second half. Junior guard Jaylen Clark shot 0-for-7 and was limited to three points from the free-throw line.

But both Clark’s and the overall team’s shooting struggles aren’t just limited to the most recent game. Conference play as a whole has not treated either entity kindly.

When looking at the season as a whole, UCLA’s 46.3% shooting percentage ranks second in the Pac-12, and Clark slots third and fourth on the team with 13.4 points per game on 47.8% shooting from the field, respectively.

However, when you factor in solely conference games, the Bruins’ 41.6% shooting ranks eighth in the Pac-12, and Clark’s 31.4% shooting ranks ninth out of 12 active players on the roster. As a team, UCLA has shot below 40% in five of the team’s last eight games.

Cronin said Clark’s struggles can be attributed to a lack of focus on his target while shooting.

“He’s got an array of shots, but you have to have your head on the rim,” Cronin said. “Taking blind shots at the rim, that will kill your percentage. … You can be LeBron James or Jaylen Clark, (but) if you’re taking blind shots off balance, you’re going to struggle.”

Clark will have an opportunity for redemption this week after having two of his worst shooting performances of the season against the Washington schools earlier this season.

Despite the defensive ace shooting a combined 4-of-21 in the two contests against the Cougars and Huskies a month ago, the Bruins went undefeated during the two-game trip in the Pacific Northwest.

UCLA survived Washington State’s upset bid and its own 36.2% shooting performance to escape with a 67-66 victory before holding Washington below 50 points. The wins came in the team’s first two games without freshman guard Amari Bailey, who went on to miss seven straight contests.

Now Bailey is back, and the Bruins will be motivated by the two-game losing streak that follows them heading into the homestand.

Nevertheless, performance remains paramount, said redshirt senior guard Tyger Campbell.

“We have a great coach, and we believe in everything that he says,” Campbell said. “We drop a game – we don’t really talk about losing. We talk about how we can get better from that game.”

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Gavin Carlson | Sports staff
Carlson is currently a staff writer on the football, men's basketball and women's basketball beats. He was previously a reporter on the softball and men's golf beats.
Carlson is currently a staff writer on the football, men's basketball and women's basketball beats. He was previously a reporter on the softball and men's golf beats.
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