How Each Bruin Graded In UCLA's Tournament Loss to UConn

The Bruins fell 73-57 to the UConn Huskies in a game that might have gone a different way if UCLA had been at full strength.

Even though UCLA was without its best player, Tyler Bilodeau, it was still five-on-five on the court. UCLA’s players simply did not perform to the standard they set all season, and for that reason, the Bruins fell short. Here is how each Bruin graded in the final game of the season.

This was not Trent Perry’s game. As one of the younger players on the team, he was forced to play a role he was not entirely comfortable with. If this game were to take place a year from now, there is little doubt Perry would make a much bigger impact.

His lack of scoring and turnovers ultimately earned him a D. This should not be taken as a knock on Perry, as he is one of UCLA’s most versatile players when he gets hot. UCLA cannot afford to lose him next season.

den — Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) reacts in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Donovan Dent also struggled against UConn. After shooting 4-for-17 against UCF in the first round, many expected him to bounce back. Instead, he took fewer shots but had similar results. As UCLA’s big-game guard, Dent needs to be more productive.

His nine assists were impressive, but it is hard to overlook his 2-for-9 shooting performance. Because of that, he earns a B. It was not Dent’s best game, and while there are areas he can improve, the season unfortunately ends here.

In Skyy Clark’s final game as a UCLA Bruin, he played fairly well. While it would have been nice to see more scoring from him, he simply could not find his shot. UConn played strong defense and gave Clark almost no separation throughout the game.

For that reason, he earns a C. There is little doubt that Clark is UCLA’s best three-point shooter, but he simply did not have many opportunities to get shots off. His lack of confidence at times made it frustrating to watch, as a sharpshooter like Clark should not need to drive as often as he did.

Eric Dailey Jr. was very quiet in the first half. He was not the same player who scored 20 points on efficient shooting against UCF. The biggest difference was that UConn presented a much stronger frontcourt, which created several problems for Dailey Jr.

However, in the second half, he scored 11 points, which helped UCLA stay competitive until late in the game. More rebounds would certainly help, and that is an area he can improve moving forward. As a junior, Dailey Jr. could return to UCLA for the 2026-27 season.

Xavier Booker started the game strong, almost the opposite of Dailey Jr.’s performance. In the first half, Booker scored most of his points and looked nearly perfect offensively. However, he did not have enough left in the tank to carry that momentum into the second half.

UConn is a very talented team, and Booker had to deal with several mismatches both offensively and defensively. There is no doubt that Booker can become an important piece for UCLA in the future, but he still needs to continue developing his role.