Cronin Notes Benefit of Adversity Amidst UCLA Turnaround

The UCLA Bruins have started to turn a corner of late, and they’ve been fueled by the adversity they’ve faced throughout this season.

Despite a tough double-overtime loss to Indiana in their last outing, the Bruins are winners of four of their last six games, including a thrilling 69-67 upset over #4 Purdue. They’ve now improved to 15-7 overall on the season, and 7-4 in Big Ten play after some inconsistencies to begin the season.

UCLA has gotten back on the bubble radar as an at-large team for the NCAA Tournament thanks to their recent turnaround. Prior to their matchup with Indiana, head coach Mick Cronin talked about the adversity they’ve faced being beneficial to their turnaround of late.

Jan 14, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin gestures to his players from the bench during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Cronin’s thoughts

“I think it takes time to build a team into who you want them to be,” Cronin said. “You’ve got to struggle to get them to believe they need to do it. Sometimes they might think ‘we’re just better, we’re so good, we’re going to win.’ Some of that is talent, guys thinking that we’re just going to win. So they’ve got to realize, and struggle, and go through pain together, to realize that, first, you’ve got to do hard things to win, it’s really hard to win especially in a high-bid high-major league.”

“In our instance, you’re trying to change personalities,” he added.

Some key reasons the Bruins have been able to get back to their winning ways, include Donovan Dent finally finding his stride after a dreadful start to the season. The five-star transfer from New Mexico has struggled mightily this season, averaging career-lows in field goal percentage, and three-point percentage while also seeing his scoring output fall off a cliff from where he was last season. Nonetheless, Dent has played much better during their winning streak, including a 23-point, 13-assist double-double in the win over Purdue.

Jan 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Jayden Reid (4) 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

They’ve also been able to weather the storm in regards to Skyy Clark’s injury, which has kept him out for nearly a month. In his place, Trent Perry has stepped up big time and filled the void left behind by Clark, allowing UCLA to survive his absence. Clark is averaging over 13 points per game this season as one of UCLA’s top scoring options prior to his injury.

Jan 10, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) looks on from the court prior to the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

They’ll look to keep the ball rolling throughout the rest of the season as they’ve gotten back on track. With the talent on the roster, UCLA can’t be counted out as a potentially dangerous team in this season’s NCAA Tournament.

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