Eric Dailey Jr. scored zero points in UCLA’s 82-80 victory against Washington on Dec. 3.

He simmered on the plane ride from Seattle back to Los Angeles.

Dailey proceeded to put up shots at the Mo Ostin Basketball Center once he arrived in Westwood at 3:30 a.m. He practiced until 4:45 a.m. and slept overnight at the Bruins’ training facility, he said.

After waking up in one of Mo Ostin’s bunk beds, Dailey lifted at the gym, had practice and did another shoot around.

He then notched a team-leading 18 points against Oregon just three days later to spearhead the team’s 74-63 triumph.

Dailey leads by example.

Although the junior guard/forward brings substantial value on the court – averaging 11.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.8 steals per game – he may be most indispensable for his off-the-court impact.

“Every day in practice, he’s always giving 100% energy,” said junior forward/center Xavier Booker. “He’s always the most vocal guy in the gym, and that’s what we need. I’m grateful to have a teammate like that, so that definitely shows how bad he wants it.”

Building toughness starts at practice, helping set the tone for the season while competing against teammates.

Grit is a requisite for any Mick Cronin-led program, and Dailey has embodied his coach’s hard-nosed standard throughout his two-year stint in Westwood after transferring from Oklahoma State ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

Cronin said Dailey dominates practice because of his relentless toughness, which allows Dailey him to thrive during games.

“Eric Dailey continues to be our most consistent guy because (he’s) got the most consistent work ethic of all of our players,” Cronin said.

Yet, Dailey is not a silent leader who lets his play deliver the message.

He loves to talk.

The Palmetto, Florida, local said that he has always been vocal throughout his basketball career, playing for USA Basketball and competing for IMG Academy in high school before arriving at UCLA in 2024.

Dailey’s communication helps his teammates foster the same work ethic he boasts while bolstering his status as one of the squad’s veteran leaders.

“I talk a lot. Having that same attitude, same fight every game, that’s been a big deal for us, and that’s been helping us get these wins,” Dailey said. “We want to go out there and kill every day. hat’s really it.”

And building toughness is all about the mental side of basketball, Dailey said.

The former Oklahoma State athlete, relying on his vocality, said he attempted to instill a mentality that forced the Bruins to want to win more than any of their opponents.

“We all have to approach the game like we’re dogs. If we do that, we’ll play hard and win games,” Dailey said. “It starts inside you. You have to want to win just as badly as everybody else does. I tell the guys, ‘Keep going, keep focusing. Keep focusing on what we have to do.’”

Dailey’s leadership particularly galvanized the Bruins’ backcourt.

Senior Donovan Dent struggled at the start of the 2025-26 campaign, netting just two 3-pointers across his first 16 games as a Bruin.

Dailey said that, when Dent hung his head after missing a floater against the Ducks on Dec. 6, he immediately went to the slouched guard, grabbed his jersey and attempted to uplift him.

“‘Keep your head up. You’re going to miss shots, you’re going to make shots. It doesn’t matter,’” Dailey said regarding his words to Dent on the court. “‘We need you to keep shooting.’ That’s what he’s good at. He can put the ball in the hoop, and he can pass, so keep shooting the ball.”

Sophomore guard Trent Perry also said that Dailey’s tutelage helped him achieve his second-year jump.

Perry scored just 3.7 points per game on 36.9% shooting from the field throughout his freshman campaign after joining the Bruins as the No. 27-ranked recruit in the class of 2024.

Dailey made no attempt to hide that Perry struggled in his first collegiate season.

But the West Covina, California, local has scored 12.4 points per game this season – the Bruins’ third-highest mark – while shooting 45.2% from the field and 41.2% from beyond the arc.

Dailey said that Perry internalized the junior’s no-nonsense mentality this season, which allowed the sophomore to temper his emotions and become a versatile weapon, adding that he and Perry share a brotherly dynamic.

“I’m very proud,” Dailey said. “He was learning, and it’s hard for a freshman. But in year two, he’s starting to make that jump. It’s all mental for him, and he’s been mentally tough. He’s getting better each and every practice. He should be more proud of himself, honestly, to overcome what he’s been going through.”

And even when the former Team USA Basketball player could not practice in October because of a knee injury, Cronin said Dailey stayed in shape and gained 10 pounds ahead of the junior’s second Bruin campaign despite his limited capacity to compete in practice.

Although Dailey still has another year of collegiate eligibility, Cronin said that the guard/forward’s intangibles – particularly his leadership and work ethic – will give him a shot to play at the next level.

“Eric’s got a skill that’s very, very underrated – very underrated – that every NBA team is looking for. He shows up every day for work ready to give 100% max effort,” Cronin said.

A dead-of-night shoot around after earning a team victory reflected Dailey’s propensity to foster individual improvement.

But his obsessive work ethic set an example while reflecting Cronin’s gritty philosophy.

He backed the talk.

“I’m naturally a talker (and) naturally a leader,” Dailey said.