UCLA Basketball: Mick Cronin Knows Exactly What's Wrong With His Struggling Offense

That's step one.

Your UCLA Bruins men's basketball program dropped another early season bout on Friday to the Villanova Wildcats, 65-56, to see their season record slide to a disappointing 5-3.

Head coach Mick Cronin thinks he knows what's ailing the team on offense, per Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times.

“Our offense was much better when we push the ball and pass the ball,” Cronin said. “When we try to throw one pass and don’t get to the second and third pass, our offense looked terrible, and I would say most coaches would say the same answer.”

The Bruins kicked off the contest leading Villanova 29-25 through the first half, but was unable to contain the Wildcats or match their outputs in the second. Villanova outscored the Bruins 40-27 in the second half.

The Bruins connected on an underwhelming 36.7% of their field goals in the contest (less-than-ideal when factoring in shots both within and beyond the arc), but a competent 36.8% of three-point shooting (7-of-19), tougher terrain to be sure.

Only two UCLA players, swingman Lazar Stefanovic (14 points on 5-of-19 shooting from the floor) and power forward Adem Bona (11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field), scored in double digits. Of the five bench players who saw some run, only one, guard Will McClendon, scored at all (he had nine points on 3-of-7 shooting from the floor).

Cronin also blamed some of the club's scoring problems as a result of starting point guard Dylan Andrews having to sit out the contest's closing eight minutes due to leg cramps.

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