Mick Cronin wanted to send a message to his team ahead of their 79-48 blowout win over Mike Bibby's Sacramento State Hornets, which meant four of his five regular UCLA Bruins starters sat on the bench for the first five minutes of the game.
The No. 15 UCLA Bruins (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) desperately needed a win like the one it got against West Georgia on Monday before facing some real competition this week.
At UCLA, one player doesn't make the team, but the right team certainly makes the player. That's been the case for Trent Perry, a former McDonald's All-American, building his game within coach Mick Cronin's defense-first culture.
With all the moving pieces happening within the world of college basketball, it hasn't been as easy to focus on the NCAA Tournament. The UCLA Bruins were eliminated in the second round of the tournament, so lucky for them, they have the chance to focus on which players are staying and which are leaving.
UCLA received some good news on Thursday after taking a hit with the loss of Dylan Andrews to the transfer portal on Wednesday. Freshman guard Trent Perry announced on social media on Thursday that he will be staying in Westwood next season.
The UCLA Bruins (19-7, 10-5) are a fairly veteran team this season with several experienced players transferring over this past offseason. One guy who is in his first year of college basketball is freshman guard Trent Perry, who has continued to thrive every time he steps onto the floor.
UCLA is one of the deepest teams in the Big Ten. On any given night, any one player can stand out. That's what one of the things that makes this team dangerous.
Dylan Andrews sank two clutch free throws with four seconds remaining to help UCLA avoid a late-game collapse in a 72-68 win over Indiana on Friday in Bloomington, Ind.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie scored 16 of his career-high 27 points in the first half to put Maryland in charge on its way to a 79-61 victory over No. 22 UCLA in Big Ten play on Friday night in College Park, Md.
The UCLA Bruins sit atop the Big Ten standings going into their game against the Prairie View A&M on Tuesday. Given the Bruins's record of 9-1, while Prairie View sits at 1-9, freshman guard Trent Perry may be primed for a breakout performance.
The UCLA Bruins (5-1) earned another crushing win at home on Friday night with an 80-47 win over Cal State Fullerton. True freshman guard Trent Perry had his best game in his young career, scoring 10 points, going 2-of-2 from 3-point range, and making the most of his limited minutes.
The UCLA Bruins (3-1) have continued to grow throughout the early going of the season and so has freshman guard Trent Perry. In his first year of collegiate ball, Perry has been thrust into an important role as he continues to get big minutes early in his career.
UCLA freshman guard Trent Perry has been a promising young asset for the Bruins in his first three collegiate games. The former four-star recruit is averaging 18.3 points per game so far in his freshman campaign, posting 5.7 points per game, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and a steal.