"You gotta be kidding me": Mick Cronin makes NBA All-Star prediction for Dylan Harper, explains what makes him unguardable
UCLA coach Mick Cronin praised Monday night's opponents, Dylan Harper and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, after the Bruins fell 75-68 at the Jersey Mike’s Arena.
Dylan Harper contributed significantly to Rutgers’ victory, scoring 18 points with two 3-pointers, hitting 6-of-8 free throws and adding four rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. The Scarlet Knights snapped their three-game losing streak while the Bruins’ losing streak extended to four games.
In the postgame interview following the Big Ten game in Piscataway, N.J., Cronin discussed what makes Harper such a challenging player to defend.
"He’s got great size; he’s got great ball skill," Cronin said (4:03). "I knew he was a great player, I saw him play and said ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ and he was a sophomore in high school. He’s a long-time NBA player, and he’s got a chance to be an All-Star."
UCLA held a narrow 33-30 lead at halftime but lost its momentum early in the second half when Rutgers’ NBA-caliber duo of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey took control of the game, leaving the Bruins unable to respond effectively.
The Bruins' recent losing streak has nearly erased the progress they made in December with wins over Oregon, Arizona and Gonzaga.
The team's earlier promising rhythm has unraveled, leading to UCLA dropping out of the Associated Press rankings following consecutive losses to Nebraska, Michigan, Maryland and now Rutgers.
Bruins Struggle in Loss Against Scarlet Knights
A change in the starting lineup wasn’t enough to turn things around for the UCLA men’s basketball team.
UCLA decided to bench point guard Dylan Andrews, who has been struggling recently. Despite the adjustment, the team faced significant challenges in the paint, with Andrews not making a shot attempt or any statistical record in five minutes of playing time.
Leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau couldn’t find his form, missing all seven of his shot attempts and finishing with only six points, all from the free throw line, against a tough Rutgers defense.
Eric Dailey Jr. and top reserve Sebastian Mack each contributed 16 points to lead UCLA, while Kobe Johnson added 13. Previously ranked 15th before their current slide, the Bruins shot just 42.4% (25 of 59) from the field.
“We can get back to the team we are,” Dailey said, emphasizing the team’s potential.
“We just gotta have everybody collectively minded to want it. That’s it. We gotta do things that make sense, that help winning. It can’t just be two, three people, it has to be everybody from the top down to the whole staff.”
As UCLA’s losing streak continues, the challenge for Mick Cronin’s team is to find a way to secure a victory. The Bruins face a packed January schedule, starting with a game against Iowa on Friday, followed by matchups against Wisconsin (Jan. 21), Washington (Jan. 24), USC (Jan. 27) and Oregon (Jan. 30).