In a prime steakhouse, it’s rare to be well-done.

Because in Westwood’s kitchen – be it a McDonald’s All-American or not – everyone begins on the same grill as the rest. Reputation sizzles fast.

“They gave him (freshman guard Trent Perry) a burger acknowledgement and that’s about all it’s worth is a quarter-pounder, which might have E. coli,” said coach Mick Cronin.

Perry was honored as a McDonald’s All-American just eight months ago, a month before being honored as the 2024 California Gatorade Player of the Year. But the four-star recruit was quick to face the reality of collegiate basketball – those golden arches rapidly become glimmers of the past.

In the level playing field that is college athletics, exceptional talent is the entry fee. Diligence and grit are the secret ingredients.

“I been going into each practice like I’m starting fresh. Everything I did in high school really, truly doesn’t matter,” Perry said. “Everyone deserves to be here. It’s UCLA, the best of the best. So ultimately, just starting off on a clean slate and having the mentality that I’m the 13th man.”

Cronin’s elements will taste test a roster somewhat constructed from scratch Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion as No. 22 UCLA men’s basketball squares off against Cal State Los Angeles five days before a landmark season officially tips off.

Perry’s “13th man” mentality is a product of the Bruins’ star-studded lineup this season, featuring nine new faces alongside seasoned returners. In a landscape where everyone has to earn their keep, complacency isn’t an option as a starting role isn’t a birthright.

“I tell the players, ‘Players determine playing time,’” Cronin said. “Everybody put in my situation would play the guy that gets the job done the most and make it hard for me.”

Potentially contradicting early predictions for UCLA’s season, Cronin’s squad stumbled 72-67 to an injury-depleted San Diego State in a closed-door scrimmage Oct. 20.

The Bruin head honcho, however, was all but discouraged from an inconsequential game where winning was never part of his blueprint.

“We didn’t play it as a game, so I used it as practice,” Cronin said. “We played eight groups of five, so I literally had to stop, put five guys in. So it was like a hockey shift.”

Given the wealth of talent at his disposal – with legitimate options in both the front and back court – Cronin embraced an unorthodox approach to the scrimmage, aiming to riddle out his lineups for the season.

San Diego State sported a rotation of just eight players through the affair, while UCLA shuffled 11 Bruins on the court, with all but two logging fewer than 20 minutes. Senior guard Kobe Johnson – who Cronin often touts as the nation’s premier collegiate defender – was the sole Bruin to clock more than 23 minutes.

“I would say that I got educated,” Cronin said. “Our starting lineup may not necessarily be our finishing lineup. Because of our depth, … I have opinions of our best offensive lineup, and I have opinions of our best defensive lineup – which are different.”

And it may not be Wednesday’s duel against Cal State LA where Cronin unveils his primary combinations, as the sixth-year coach said he wants to keep some tricks up his sleeve while also executing his schemes.

“It’s a little bit of a give and take,” Cronin said. “Half of it is just getting the guys, getting their uniforms on and playing a game in front of fans for the first time, and now in this era, doing it together for the first time.”

While Cronin kept his potential lineups close to the vest, his confidence in the team’s defensive capabilities was unmistakable – a hallmark of his coaching philosophy that could very well be the backbone of this year’s roster.

After molding the 2023 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in former guard Jaylen Clark, Cronin may be building his sequel in Johnson.

“We can be elite in causing havoc defensively because of our depth at the guard – and not just depth, it’s speed,” Cronin said. “We have one of the best defenders, if not the best perimeter defender in the country, in Kobe Johnson.”

Tuesday morning’s practice was a masterclass in Cronin’s coaching philosophy. Each misstep triggered a sharp whistle as he left little room for error in the day’s defensive work.

“That’s why I came here. I want these practices to be intense,” Johnson said. “I want him to get on us. … But that’s coach Cronin. You guys see it all the time on TV. You guys know how he is. He’s no different in practice.”