UCLA's Cronin Notes Perry’s Offensive Growth After Career Week

In what has been a strange season for the UCLA Bruins, guard Trent Perry has been a bright spot for Mick Cronin’s team.

Perry has been a revelation of late for the Bruins, scoring in double-figures in three of his last five games — all of which he scored 15 or more — including a 30-point performance against Penn State.

Against Penn State, Perry entered halftime with just 8 points before exploding for 22 of his 30 points in the second-half, knocking down 4 three-pointers en route to the best game of his college career by far. Prior to the Penn State game, his previous career-high was 17 points.

Before his recent stretch, Perry had scored in double-digits in just 6 of his first 13 games. Despite UCLA’s measly 4-3 record in conference play, Perry has gotten the job done of late.

Cronin's thoughts

Jan 17, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts to a play during the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Following his 30-point performance against Penn State, head coach Mick Cronin took a moment to speak on Perry’s overall growth as a scorer this season.

“Trent made some big shots,” Cronin said. “I’ve got him to a point now where he’s not hesitating as an offensive player. I think that matters, it was huge for him. If you’re going to win games, and go through a season — that’s our third different player to have 30 points in a game — it’s going to be different guys, you’ve got to keep grinding it out, that’s conference play.”

“I yell at guys when they don’t shoot the ball” Cronin added. “Let it fly man, it might go in. You’ve got to let it fly, you can’t be timid. The guys that you know have talent, you’ve got to empower them. They’re going to maybe take a few that they shouldn’t. There’s an art to coaching a scorer, and I’d rather have him pressing the envelope offensively, and just worry about playing hard on defense. You’ve got to try to make sure that they know you want them to be aggressive.”

Jan 17, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) shoots the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes forward Devin Royal (21) defends during the first half at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Perry is now up to 11.2 points per game, shooting 45 percent from the floor, and 40 percent from three-point territory. In what has been a strange season for the Bruins filled with bad injury luck, and inconsistency on the court, Perry’s recent stretch is a positive sign for the Bruins going forward.

After being ranked to start the season, UCLA has slipped a bit. The hope for Cronin and his squad is that they can turn things around sooner than later as the season really kicks into high-gear.

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