3 Overreactions After UCLA's Loss to Indiana

UCLA would fall to Indiana in a 97-96 double-overtime thriller, which in turn has prompted a few overreactions.

The Bruins had played very good basketball during their wins against then No. 4 Purdue, Northwestern, and Oregon. However, this would all come crashing down against a decent Indiana team. Looking ahead, UCLA has to play its best basketball to end the season off.

Mick Cronin's Seat is Flaming

UCLA has had its ups and down this season. However the Bruins are currently sitting at 15-7, before playing their hardest part of their schedule. With a team loaded with seniors, and huge transfers, this result is far below expectations. There is only one place to put the blame.

Mick Cronin, while he has a very extensive resume, has failed to bring UCLA to glory. A lot of this scrutiny stems from UCLA's lack of roster depth, which in turn cost them the game against Indiana. The Hoosiers had three players foul out, and still, they were able to outplay UCLA. Not a good look for Mick Cronin.

UCLA's Season is Over

After falling to Indiana, the road ahead does not get easier. The Bruins should be able to beat Washington and Rutgers, but after is when it gets dicey. They will have to play No. 3 Michigan and No. 7 Michigan State, followed by No. 9 Illinois. At 15-7 they could be in double-digit losses before March.

As it stands UCLA is already a team on the fringe of missing the tournament. And after the loss to Indiana, they will most likely fall out of the bracket completely. If they were to beat the Hoosiers there is a good chance they would have the momentum needed to beat the ranked teams mentioned earlier. Now not so much.

Donovan Dent Could Save UCLA

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Nick Dorn (7) defends UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) as he drives to the basket in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

On a more positive note, UCLA is not a bad team. Them missing the tournament is purely due to technical reasons. But it would not be surprising to see them defy these odds with how well Donovan Dent has played. Against Indiana, we saw the New Mexico version of him that we had been teased with all season.

If Dent can maintain his aggressivness shots will start to fall in. He shot 8-23, and from the eye test alone, a few of those shots should have fallen. If he can start hitting these while shooting at a high volume, UCLA could be a sneaky team to pull off some upsets to round out the season.

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