Why Cronin Called Out UCLA Defense Again After Win

UCLA won its second straight game with a 77-73 victory over Washington on Saturday to move into sixth place in the Big Ten, but there are still some inconsistencies that continue to hold the team back.

One of the most common and notable is the Bruins' effort and result on the defensive end of the floor. While they've overcome many of those challenges and have responded when called out publicly, it's still not quite up to par.

ucla defens — Feb 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Washington Huskies center Lathan Sommerville (24) drives past UCLA Bruins guard Brandon Williams (5) and forward Xavier Booker (1) in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

"In this league, you've just got to win and get to the next one," head coach Mick Cronin said postgame. "That said, we are going nowhere if we don't become a better defensive team. ... Last year, three teams that made it to the end ... were the three best defensive teams in the country. Look it up."

UCLA's Defensive Woes

Cronin has harped on UCLA's defensive abilities all season due to a lack of consistency. The Bruins have strung together some impressive games, like holding Maryland to 55 points and forcing Oregon and Northwestern to shoot under 40% from the field, but those streaks are often met with random disappointments.

Ohio State ended back-to-back defensive clinics by putting up 86 points on 53% shooting from the field in mid-January, and last weekend, Indiana left a sour taste in the Bruins' mouths by gutting them for 98 points in an overtime thriller. Yet, the problem goes beyond those two games.

UCLA is 17-7 overall and 9-4 in Big Ten play. Since conference play began, it has allowed six opponents to shoot 45% or better from the field, and the team is 3-3 in those games. That means it holds a 6-1 record when playing up to Cronin's defensive standards. Somehow, the Bruins are 2-1 when allowing over 50%, but Cronin knows that's not a sustainable recipe for success.

"If we keep giving up 50% from the field, our season will end really, really early," he said.

The two wins while allowing better than 50% shooting both came against Washington. UCLA won them by a combined six points, allowing a second-half comeback in the first meeting, but starting slowly and trailing at halftime in Saturday's rematch.

"We've got to start the game better off," senior guard Donovan Dent said. "We just can't have lapses during the game. We'll go stretches where our defense looks amazing, and then we'll have lapses where it just looks like we don't know what the hell we're doing out there. I think we've just got to clean that up and be better at it."

The faster UCLA can find that defensive improvement and consistency, the better. Six of the Bruins' remaining seven games come against teams in the top half of the Big Ten standings, including three in a row against top-10 teams in the national polls. Those teams all excel in areas that have caused issues for UCLA, and it'll be even more difficult if the Bruins can't find some sort of solution.

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