Loss to Iowa Generates Brutal UCLA Report Card

The Bruins would lose to No. 25 Iowa in a game that was really must win for the Bruins, here is how the starters performed.

UCLA had a lot going for them entering this game, however they were just unable to get things done. This season has looked really bad, and this game could prove to be the tipping point. UCLA has a tough schedule ahead, so it is imperative they fix some of these consistency issues.

Tyler Bilodeau had a very rough game against Iowa. The only sure thing for the Bruins of late has been Bilodeau, and this game really could have proved that. However, he did not show up and ended up being a key reason the Bruins would fall in this one.

He earns a D+, which, to be fair, is generous. However, his scoring was ok for the most part, and his rebounding helps. His turnovers really tanked his grade. UCLA will not be able to win much if Bilodeau keeps being loose with the ball.

It started to get hard to justify putting Booker on this list. He is technically a starter, however he really hasn't played like one lately. It is shocking that Booker has remained a starter, especially given the different three-guard look that UCLA has been showing.

He earns a D, because there is simply no argument for anything higher. Xavier Booker has still not shown that he can be an effective big-man in this league as he has continued to struggle to rebound and control the paint.

This is not the production you want to see from your pre-season "star" forward. Eric Dailey Jr played 30 minutes in this one, and at first glance it would have appeared that he might have played 10. This has been the story for Dailey Jr all season, minimal production.

Something needs to give for Dailey, or these F grades will just become more common. Although, he did have three steals, so he was not useless per say. However, we still need to see a lot more from him moving forward.

In Skyy Clark's defense, Iowa was not going to allow a three-pointer in this game by any means. However, this exposed a massive flaw in Clark's game that could have easily derailed the entire season, not just for him but the Bruins as a whole.

He earns an F here, because like Dailey he played substantial minutes, but did not have the production to show for it. Clark really specializes as a scorer and when he can't, it hard to to ignore his other inefficiencies.

Easily Donovan Dent's best game of the season. However, this was largely a product of Iowa shutting down UCLA's perimeter shooting that allowed Dent to find soft spots in the paint. But overall, a 25-point game is nothing to complain about.

The only reason why this was not an A+ was due to the three early turnovers in the first half. This really set the tone of the game, and it was all downhill from there. The 25 was nice, but 20 came in the second half. We need to see more consistency from Dent moving forward.

Dec 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts on the sidelines in the first half against the UC Riverside Highlanders at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

This was simply not a good game for the Bruins. While Dent did shine in this one, we have seen that it is not sustainable. Skyy Clark and Tyler Bilodeau really need to get on the same-page soon or this season can be considered a bust.

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