UCLA Plummets in KenPom After Narrow EWU Victory

The Bruins weren't at all impressed with their season-opening win, and neither were the heralded statistics.

Mar 22, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images / Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 college basketball season is officially underway and the UCLA Bruins (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) started the season on a pretty sour note.

Their narrow 80-74 win over the Big Sky's Eastern Washington Eagles left fans, players and coach Mick Cronin with much to be desired. Cronin, as fiery as he is, didn't hesitate to rip his team's performance.

Mar 19, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA head coach Mick Cronin speaks with media during NCAA Tournament First Round Practice at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images / Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Not only did the loss provide an early reality check, it also plummeted the highly-ranked Bruins 10 spots down the notorious KenPom College Basketball Ratings. UCLA came into the season ranked 10th and are down to No. 20 after just one win.

In the updated ratings, UCLA's offense ranks 28th in the nation with an offensive rating of 116.7. The Bruins' defense ranks 16th with a defensive rating of 94.6. That gives Cronin's team a +22.11 net rating, which places it at 20th in college basketball.

Notable conference and non-conference opponents like Purdue (2), Gonzaga (7) and Arizona (10) all sit comfortably ahead of the Bruins statistically.

Nov 3, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) celebrates a play against the Florida Gators in the second half of the Hall of Fame Series game at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

It's just one game, but UCLA must turn it around before taking on Arizona on Friday, Nov. 14. Luckily, the Bruins' star guard, Donovan Dent, is already stepping in and shouldering the blame.

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Dent Shoulders Blame For Bleak Season-Opening Win

Nov 3, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin talks to guard Donovan Dent (2) during the second half against the Eastern Washington Eagles at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Bruins as a team looked disjointed by a meddling Big Sky opponent and EWU's tricky zone defense, so much so that star guard Donovan Dent often had to carry UCLA through some of its roughest stretches.

Following the ugly win, Dent and forward Tyler Bilodeau spoke to the media and the transfer guard shouldered some of the offensive blame. Here's a transcript of Dent's brief postgame:

On UCLA's practice this week

“I thought we had high energy in practice. He always wants us to go above and beyond so he’s always going to look at it in a different view. We kind of just came out with the mindset that we were going to come in here and blow them out. That’s what caused this game. I don’t think it was the practice or the shootaround. It was more our mindset at the start of this game.”

Nov 3, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) dribbles the ball against Eastern Washington Eagles guard Johnny Radford (21) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

On UCLA's offensive performance

“I think I could have got the ball out of my hand a little bit more. I took 17 shots, which is quite a bit of shots. I feel like I didn’t need to take that many and forced a couple. I feel like I got to move the ball and run the offense better.”

On Dent's leadership after a game like this

“I think it's pretty easy for me to pick them up. We are all older guys, so it's not like I'm picking up freshmen or sophomores. We all know what we gotta do. I can encourage as much as I can, but we all know what we have to do. We just have to pick it up from here. Practice on Wednesday, we just have to come in with the right mindset.”

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