How Ohio State Loss Underscores 2 Major Concerns For Ucla

The UCLA men's hoops squad has been reliable to fig retired this season. One day, it's dominating a squad that has nobusiness being successful nan aforesaid building, nan next, it's turning successful a woeful capacity erstwhile it needs to impressment nan most.

The Bruins are already connected nan fringe of nan NCAA Tournament arsenic it is right, if you inquire nan nationalist experts, and they suffered a detrimental rustle successful an 86-74 nonaccomplishment to Ohio State connected Saturday. But it's not conscionable nan truth that they mislaid nan crippled that's concerning, but alternatively really they performed successful a mates of basal areas.

"We only sewage 13 protect rebounds connected their live-ball shots," caput coach Mick Cronin lamented aft nan game. "... You sewage nary chance. I'm higly disappointed successful getting our a** kicked physically and our inability to play defense."

Ongoing Rebounding Issues

The isn't nan first clip Cronin has pointed retired his team's inability to rebound adequately, and that whitethorn beryllium nan biggest concern. Just past week, he lamented their rebounding effort successful a beautiful easy won crippled against Maryland. The UCLA players responded by outrebounding Penn State, 32-21, connected Wednesday, only allowing six violative rebound to nan Nittany Lions.

The Bruins allowed doubly that connected Saturday. Of nan 9 players who entered nan crippled for UCLA, only Tyler Bilodeau had much than 4 full rebounds. Steven Jamerson Jr, who had impressed successful that area complete nan past fewer games, took a measurement backmost arsenic well, ending wiht conscionable 3 boards.

It besides did not thief that starting large man and erstwhile five-star precocious schoolhouse enlistee Xavier Booker only played 2 minutes pinch nary different stats collected. When asked astir Booker's virtual absence, Cronin simply said, "I'm trying to play nan guys who springiness america nan champion changeable for america to win."

Disastrous Defense

After a mates awesome protect performances successful a statement successful which UCLA held its opponents to 60 points aliases less, nan defense vanished connected Saturday -- arsenic I'm judge you could show from nan last score. Ohio State changeable 53% from nan section and became nan sixth squad to people astatine slightest 80 points against nan Bruins this season.

"I connection nary excuses. Blame me," Cronin stressed. "I recruited them. I signed them arsenic free agents. We're not going to triumph meaningful games if we can't extremity nan different team. ... You can't springiness up 80 and triumph connected nan road. ... We scored 74 points connected nan roadworthy successful nan Big Ten. You should person a big-time changeable to win. Our defense was an embarrassment today. The past mates of games, it was great. Today, we couldn't defender them."

The inclination is peculiarly alarming successful nan Big Ten, wherever Illinois, Purdue, and Michigan each rank among nan 7 champion offenses, according to KenPom, and Michigan State, Nebraska, and Iowa are besides among nan nation's champion defenses.

"You get your ass kicked physically and you can't defend, successful nan Big Ten, you're going to lose," Cronin explained.

UCLA has to dream it tin get that protect spark backmost quickly. The Bruins big Purdue connected Tuesday and play 4 of nan different elite KenPom teams during a six-game span opening successful mid-February. Physicality will beryllium a apical privilege for each of them, and if UCLA doesn't improve, it won't guidelines a chance.

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