Why Mick Cronin Applauded Trent Perry Saturday

UCLA guard Trent Perry has stepped up his production on the court in recent weeks, and recently, he’s become a leader vocally as well.

Perry has been red hot for the Bruins of late. In UCLA’s 71-64 win over Northwestern, Perry scored 18 points. It was his 7th double-digit scoring game in his last 9 games, and his second-highest scoring mark of the season behind his 30-point game on Jan. 14 against Penn State.

The Bruins have now improved to 5-3 in conference play, and are winners of 4 of their last 5 games including an upset victory over #4 Purdue. Perry’s production has helped the Bruins survive the absence of guard Skyy Clark, who has been out for weeks with an injury. Clark is averaging over 13 points per game this season as one of UCLA’s top scoring options.

Jan 3, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) controls the ball against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Since Clark's injury

Since Clark went down, Perry is averaging 16.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 44 percent from the floor, and 40 percent from three-point range. Not only has Perry been able to replace Clark’s production, but he’s actually been able to one-up it since entering into his role.

“I mean, I kept grinding. My dad has always said, there’s always going to be bumps in the road. But no matter what, you keep grinding, and everything is going to take care of itself,” Perry said after the win over Northwestern.

Jan 24, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Northwestern Wildcats forward Nick Martinelli (2) defends UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Cronin encouraged by progress

As head coach Mick Cronin has noted, Perry has also taken a step forward as a vocal presence for the Bruins, which has helped contribute to their recent turnaround.

“If you want smart guys, you try to recruit them,” Cronin said. “Smart guys talk out there. The guys that don’t talk that much, they’re not being belligerent and just not doing it on purpose, they don’t know what to say, they don’t think as quick as other guys. Guys that think quick, they can talk and see things, because they’re smart. You just recruit smart players.”

The Bruins started the season strong, being ranked in the AP Poll top 25. After a sluggish start with a handful of tough losses, the Bruins have found themselves trying to get back to where they were expected to be. With Perry’s recent surge, the Bruins now become a much deeper team upon Skyy Clark’s return, and shouldn’t be counted out just yet a dangerous team when the NCAA Tournament rolls around.

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