
UCLA had a pretty solid outing against Oregon; it really looks like the team is starting to figure out things that have haunted them before.
Overall, this was a very solid team win for the Bruins. While the game did get close in the second half, the Bruins' playmakers were able to step up in key moments to keep the Bruins ahead. Here is how they graded:
What looked like another dominant Skyy Clark performance in the first half would quickly dwindle out. In the first half, he had 10 points on 3-3 shooting. If he kept that pace, this would've been a great game.
He earns a "B+" because this was a pretty good Skyy Clark game. He set the pace early for the Bruins, and it allowed the team to get a pretty big lead in the first half. He also had a season high in assists.
We really thought that Donovan Dent turned a corner when it came to his shooting this season, after the matchup against Washington. 4-14 shooting is not something you want to see from your cornerstone guard.
He earns a B- because anything higher or lower would be unreasonable. He stepped up on defense, getting steals in crucial situations, something you can't complain about. Dent was also somehow able to get more than 12 points despite his shooting performance. The shooting still needs work, but not a bad game.
Just the game we hoped to see from Eric Dailey Jr. after his rough outing against Washington. He came out strong with an impressive first half, and for once, we weren’t holding our breath every time he put a shot up. We only wish the second half matched that pace, as he finished with just 4 points after the break.
An "A" here feels reasonable; he was able to get eight rebounds, something UCLA would desperately need. His scoring threat created problems within the Oregon defense, allowing others on the team to get open looks.
Pretty good game from Tyler Bilodeau overall. The only real critique is that he never truly took over for the Bruins, which, in a way, is actually a positive. His scoring was steady and spread out throughout the game, giving UCLA consistent production without forcing anything.
He earns a “B+” because we know his ceiling, and Oregon isn’t an opponent we expected to slow him down. Even so, Bilodeau stepped up when the Bruins needed him most — and that’s really all you can ask for in a game like this.
Xavier Booker was good in this one — not great, but solid. We still want to see him take a step forward on the glass, but outside of rebounding, he proved his value in just about every other area.
He earns a “B” because, as we said, he was good — not great. The threat he posed from beyond the arc really opened things up for the Bruins, and his defense throughout the game was also very solid.
Very solid outing from the Bruins. The starting five all had +10 points in this one, something that we will be expecting from them moving forward.
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