LOS ANGELES - No. 19 UCLA didn't have much to worry about when it came to final scores on Friday night after a 40 point victory over Presbyterian 86-46, but in games like that, when the pressure comes off, character is revealed.
The character that UCLA head coach Mick Cronin demands from his players in one of effort and a commitment to excellence. The Bruins showed that and then-some with their full 40 minutes at Pauley Pavilion.
Effort shows up in a basketball game shows up in a lot of ways, but an easy area to judge how hard a team is working, especially when they're way up like the Bruins were, is rebounding. It's the most physical aspect of the game; it requires a player to get into the thick of things and they don't want it, they won't get it.
"Rebounding is 100% effort. So, you're either too cool for it, you think you're too good for it... or you're too soft, or you're too lazy. God forbid you're all three," Cronin said. "But, the best rebounder doesn't think he's too good to do it. He's tough and he's a worker and that's Brandon Williams."
How Brandon Williams Impressed
Williams, a redshirt sophomore who got the start in place of an injured Tyler Bilodeau, tied for the team lead in rebounds with seven while adding 11 points to his totals.
The overall adjustment to the Bruins' attitude on the court has been apparent. There's more fight in this team. More scrambling. It's the kind of thing that Cronin has been asking of them and in the games since their heartbreaking loss at the hands of Arizona, the Bruins have shown that spirit.
"We know what we need to do. We're an older team and we all we want to win, We all want to be successful. So [we're] just coming together and doing what we have to do to win."
"Those are the things that we have to do to get to the national championship," Skyy Clark, who had one of the best games of his college career with 22 points on 81.8% shooting, said. "We got a lot of talent, but it's really who's going to play the hardest. Who's going to box out... I think that's what's going to get us there."
Putting the Team First
The double-edged sword that comes with teams as naturally talented as the Bruins is that it can be easy to coast on your own success and in the process, put personal numbers ahead of the team, because the team numbers work themselves out on their own. That's a problem Cronin is aware of and actively tries to catch his players away from.
"The hungry dog gets the bone. Guys get a little complacent. They're good guys and think, 'Well, we're going to win. So let me worry about myself a little bit more," Cronin said. "So, we try to talk about having a proper focus and attitude and humility all the time, you know, and don't ever listen to people tell you good you are until you retire."
Nico Alba - The Sporting Tribune
UCLA guard Jamar Brown (4) gets a fast break dunk during an NCAA basketball game against Presbyterian, Friday November 21st, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
That approach showed up on Friday in the form of 33 team rebounds and 62.7% shooting from the field, the best mark in Cronin's entire UCLA career. The attitude adjustment is already paying dividends and it's what Cronin will strive to keep going on to March.
"[The] last couple games, our team attitude, it's been something I can be proud of. It's amazing how guys play better when they have the right attitude and the right approach," Cronin said.