The 19th-ranked Bruins (4-1) cruise to a 79-48 win, but it’s another unconvincing effort against an unconvincing opponent from a team that looks to be in need of a jolt.
Either Mick Cronin was trying to prove he is just as fickle as the college basketball stratosphere thinks he is, or he was simply experimenting.
After an unexpected nailbiter in UCLA’s season opener, he said he would bench anyone at any time if they blew a defensive assignment. After the Bruins’ loss to No. 4 Arizona on Friday night, he said he needed to develop his bench.
Both scenarios could explain why, on Tuesday, Cronin rolled out four reserves and forward Eric Dailey Jr. to start UCLA’s game against Sacramento State. Regardless of the reason, the 19th-ranked Bruins cruised to a 79-48 victory.
The lone unchanged starter, Dailey, led the team with 15 points. Xavier Booker Jr. scored 12 off the bench and Trent Perry added 11.
The Bruins (4-1) had another unconvincing win against an unconvincing opponent.
The new-look starting lineup jumped out to a 13-0 lead. Jamar Brown drew an and-one opportunity off a nifty Euro-step in transition.
