Player Has Blunt Description of UCLA's New Playing Style

UCLA's men's basketball team has shown vast improvement in recent weeks, fighting through some of the Big Ten's elites and battiling its way into the top half of the conference.

The Bruins have had to adjust how they play, and it seems to be working well. But what exactly is it about their playing style that has changed?

"The team's been playing desperate lately, and that's a good thing for us," junior guard Eric Dailey Jr. told the local media on Friday. "[We're] Just playing with fight, playing with good effort, and playing with good energy. Everybody's got good attitudes. It's good to play like this at this point in the season. We've just got to keep the ball rolling."

Inspired Desperation

UCLA opened the season as the No. 12 team in the country, but a December loss to Gonzaga dropped the Bruins from the rankings, and losses in three of their first five Big Ten games saw a 10-3 team fall to 12-6 in only two weeks. But something turned the tide back in the right direction. Despite all the injuries and hardship that had been thrown its way, UCLA snapped out of it with an upset of No. 4 Purdue.

ucla playing styl — Jan 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) is defended by Northwestern Wildcats forward Tre Singleton (8) in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

"We were all just tired of losing," Dailey said. "Everybody was tired of losing -- the fans, us. Everybody just got to that point where we've just got to fight. Just whatever we've got to do to win, however the win looks. We don't care how it looks as long as it's a W in that column. I think we're just at that point in the season because we know how good we can be when we play like that."

The Bruins entered that game against Purdue as a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament. However, the three game winning streak has restored UCLA's confidence, much like it did around this time last year. Yet, there's one difference: rebounding.

Head coach Mick Cronin has lamented his team's rebounding effort often this season, and for good reason. There sems to be a pretty direct correlation between UCLA winning the battle on the boards and winning the game, and that goes right along with playing with desperation.

"We need the rebounds to win the games," Dailey added. "Last year, we used to have a problem with getting out rebounded just because we were undersized. This year, I feel like I've got some of my athleticism back where I can go in there and get those big boards, be effective down there, and bang a lot more. ... Just as long as we're all crashing, and we're all in there in the paint, pursuing the ball, somebody will get it."

Cronin's Take

While head coach Mick Cronin agrees with Dailey Jr's stating the Bruins have been playing better, he's not quite calling it "desperation." He sees it more as a product of playing hard in one of the country's most challenging conferences.

"You get in this league, and it is World War III to try to get a win," Cronin remarked. "You've got to understand that if you don't play really, really hard, you're not going to win. ... We're still a newcomer to this league from a mentality standpoint."

That newcomer is starting to adjust, and future opponents better be careful. Desperate play is alway dangerous, even if the coahc doesn't want to admit it. Yet, it's exactly what is keeping UCLA's postseason hopes alive.

"When you play like you've got everything to lose, you play a little harder," Dailey Jr. said. "... When I see they had us in the Last Four In or First Four Out or whatever ... It's still January. We can change that."

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