Why Ominous Loss to Badgers Should Worry UCLA

The Bruins season is falling apart right in front of our eyes, but should you the fan be worried?

As it stands now, the Bruins are not the team that we thought we were getting heading into this season. The preseason ranks had UCLA at No. 12 in the country, and as of Jan. 9, they are unranked. It's been a difficult season, but there might be hope for them to turn it around.

The Five Falls of Westwood

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

In the first 15 games this season, the Bruins now sit at 10-5, not good by any standard for a program of this caliber. The Bruins have not shown themselves to be the team of history's past, and currently are on pace to get fewer wins than the year before (23-11).

The Bruins would drop their first game of the season to now No. 1 Arizona, a game where the Bruins had a real shot of winning but just could not get it done. At the time, this loss was not alarming, simply due to how good Arizona has been this season. But the same cannot be said about the others.

Dec 3, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) shoots the ball against the Washington Huskies during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Bruins next loss would be an upset by Cal, a team where the Bruins should have utterly dominated. However, this is when the veil started to tear, the Bruins played awful, dropping this game as seven-point favorites. The alarm started to blare.

UCLA would mount some momentum however, they would win back-to-back conference games against Oregon and Washington. While a win is a win, both games showed significant cracks in the Bruins roster that would need to be addressed before their next showdown against Gonzaga.

Dec 13, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin and Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few after the game at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

This brings us to our third loss of the season against No. 8 Gonzaga, a game where, if the Bruins won, all the losses of the past would have been shrugged off. And as we know, this was not the case. UCLA would keep the game close, but it was clear the roster issues from before caught up to them.

Similar to the loss to Cal, the Bruins would get a win streak going before their next ranked opponent. This time felt different; the Bruins would win three games in a row, scoring 90-plus in each. This gave fans real hope that something was brewing in Westwood. Did the Bruins figure it out? No.

Jan 3, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) is defended by Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cooper Koch (8) during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

With momentum riding at their hip, they would square up against No. 25 Iowa, a team that on paper looked to be the best chance the Bruins had to break their ranked-team loss streak. Again, the Bruins would just not deliver, falling 74-61, with no real hope of winning.

And as we saw on Tuesday, the Bruins would not be able to bounce back against Wisconsin, still plagued with the same issues that caused them to drop the other four games this season. The Bruins' season has officially been derailed.

Should you be Worried? Yes.

The short answer is yes, as a fan you should be worried about the current trajectory that this team is on. While they have shown flashes, the damage has already been done. The loss to Cal and Gonzaga served as an early warning of the collapse we are seeing now.

The Bruins struggles stem from roster building. While the talent is there, the Bruins do not have the right players in the right spots. The Bruins' offense is great; they have all the pieces to score 90 a game, but the defense really needs help.

Bookr — Jan 3, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; UCLA Bruins center Xavier Booker (1) and Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cam Manyawu (3) battle for the opening tipoff during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

UCLA’s defensive inefficiencies have forced the team to rely on its offense. The result is a one-dimensional group that, while capable of scoring, is not built to consistently succeed playing this style of basketball.

So yes, you should be worried. This team fully acknowledges what is wrong, and time and time again has failed to address these issues. It would not come as a suprise if the Bruins are unable to reach 20 wins this season, given how difficult their next few games are.

UCLA forward Eric Dailey Jr. (3) and Wisconsin guard Jack Janicki (5) vie for rebound during the first half of their game Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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