Good, Bad and Ugly of UCLA's Loss to Michigan

The Bruins would fall to Michigan 86-56, in a very "ugly" fashion, here is what happened.

For starters the Bruins did have a lot riding against them. A away game, on the furthest time-zone from home, is something most teams struggle to deal with. However, problems that plauged the Bruins before were on full display in this one.

The Good | UCLA's First Half Rebounding

Mick Croni — Feb 14, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) is defended by Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) in the second half at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The only real positive from this game came in the first half. UCLA’s rebounding was strong early on, holding a 21-11 advantage over Michigan on the glass. Because of this, the Bruins were able to stick around by halftime, trailing only by two points. If they would've maintained this a UCLA win was in the cards.

In the second half UCLA had just eight rebounds. Obviously, the Bruins were not going to win this game if that was the performance they put out there. That is a 61.9% decrease in rebounding efficiency from half-to-half. Clearly the first half was the standard.

The Bad | Shot Selection

Feb 14, 2026; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin talks to guard Trent Perry (0) in the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Crisler Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Bruins finished the second-half shooting 25% from the field and 10% from the three-point line. It was simply not a good game for UCLA. However, this could be a result of poor shot selection. But even then, UCLA would miss a handful of open shots. Shooting was a issue.

Xavier Booker went 1-of-6 from the arc in this one. While not a bad thing, as entering this game, he was a 40% shooter from three. Still, the Bruins have numbers, one, two, and three in Big Ten three-point shooting in Clark, Perry, and Bilodeau. Booker cannot be taking the most threes on UCLA, no matter what.

The Ugly | Turnovers

Feb 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) shoots the ball in the first half against the Washington Huskies at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Bad shooting is one thing, but lazy ball security is another. Some days the ball simply won't go in, and that hit UCLA hard vs Michigan. But lousy ball security is one of the things you can control in the basketball. To start the game UCLA had more turnovers than shot attempts.

If the Bruins showcased better ball security, there is no telling how the game would have ended. They finished the game off with 13, meaning there was potentially 26-plus points left on the floor. Entering this game, UCLA knew Michigan held teams accountable. The Bruins simply did not play like it.

Just a poor game from the Bruins overall. While there were some highs, the Bruins simply did not want it bad enough. A 30-point margin seems fitting.

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