This post was updated Jan. 29 at 12:03 a.m.

“Kamikazes” are often only mentioned when discussing World War II. 

But the term has a different association in Eugene. 

The “Kamikaze Kids” characterized Oregon men’s basketball from 1972 to 1977, defined by the team’s full-court pressure and relentless hustle. 

Yet, it was UCLA men’s basketball (15-6, 7-3 Big Ten) that embraced this defensive tenacity in its 73-57 victory against Oregon (8-13, 1-9) at Eugene’s Matthew Knight Arena on Wednesday night. 

The Bruins’ defense limited the Ducks to a 35.6 field goal percentage and a 28.1% 3-point clip, while forcing 10 turnovers. 

Coach Mick Cronin’s team has elicited the third-most turnovers in the Big Ten this season, forcing 13.2 per game, and UCLA has scored the second-most points off turnovers in the conference. 

But turnovers are not the only measure of a team’s grit.

Rebounding is perhaps hustle in basketball’s purest form. 

Greg Ballard, the starting small forward on the “Kamikaze Kids” roster, notched 1,114 rebounds throughout his four-year Oregon career – the most in program history. 

But junior guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. and senior forward Tyler Bilodeau hammered the boards Wednesday, logging 11 and seven rebounds, respectively. Dailey Jr. reached double-digit rebounds for the first time this season since he posted 10 against Sacramento State on Nov. 18.

“They need me, and I’m aware of that, and I feel like it was bound to happen,” said Xavier Booker after UCLA’s 69-67 victory against Purdue. “Just staying positive and staying ready, that’s the main thing. You can’t ever check yourself out of it. It’s a long season. You have to always stay ready.”

UCLA’s 30 points in the paint and 19 second-chance points punctuated its interior dominance against Oregon, a team that was without center Nate Bittle – the team’s second-leading rebounder – for the fourth-straight game. The rebounding effort spearheaded UCLA’s 19-5 second-chance-point advantage. 

The Bruin interior defense stifled the Duck frontcourt and prevented the home bunch from attempting shots inside the arc. The Ducks attempted 27 2-point shots compared to 32 3-point attempts.  

And the Ducks converted on just nine of those 32 long-range attempts.

Paint prowess has not defined UCLA’s identity this season. The Bruins do not have a single seven-foot player on their roster, forcing them to rely on paint hustle rather than sheer physical dominance. 

And formidable frontcourts are particularly prevalent in the Big Ten. 

“That’s a huge focus for us, … stopping paint points. That’s the key to every game in the Big 10,” Bilodeau said. “Something I’ve worked a lot on (is) just being physical. Whether it’s scoring in the paint defensively (or) rebounding.”

Yet, perimeter shooting has characterized the Bruins’ winning stretch. 

The crew netted eight or more 3-point shots across its last four contests while launching at least 18 in each game. 

But dominating the offensive boards can demoralize an opposing defense while depleting its energy, which may open perimeter scoring opportunities as opponents strain to scramble across the court. 

The Bruins’ paint presence helped solidify their 38.9% clip from beyond the arc on 7-for-18 shooting. 

Six different Bruins drained at least one 3-point shot as the offense repeatedly swung the rock around the perimeter to find open shooting windows on second-chance opportunities. 

The Bruins’ accelerated pace throughout the game – with senior guard Donovan Dent relying on his speed to lead the fastbreak – reflected an urgent group that has struggled on the road thus far, losing three of its five away affairs while allowing 70-plus points in each.

But the Bruins relied on grit to drive their defensive effort Wednesday night – in front of members of the historic Oregon team that helped shape collegiate hustle.

“I just try to stay relentless in doing my job, which is make everybody on my team a better player in every way I can make them a better player, mentally, physically. … Then your team improves,” Cronin said. “That’s where I put all my energy. I put none of it into what our record is and even less into what the hell we did last year – because nobody cares.”