Tag: Eric Dailey Jr.

UCLA tops USC on the road in first Big Ten matchup

The Bruins took the first of two games against the Trojans this season.

The UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans share a long and storied rivalry. In their first meeting in the Big Ten, the Bruins took down the Trojans on the road 82-76, extending their win streak to four. After suffering an ankle injury in the Bruins win over Washington, Tyler Bilodeau was ruled out of Monday night’s contest. In his absence, forward Eric Dailey Jr. and center Aday Mara answered the call.

Dailey Jr. (16) and Mara (12) combined for 28 points and smothered the Trojans defensively. Dailey Jr.’s two steals and Mara’s five blocks held USC’s potent offense to only 49.1% shooting and helped force 10 turnovers.

UCLA’s win showcased the best of the Bruins. Playing a balanced game offensively and defensively, the Bruins put their midseason woes behind them and proved they are as resilient as they are talented.

Riding a four-game win streak in the Big Ten, head coach Mick Cronin and the Bruins test their luck at the Pauley Pavillion against No. 16 Oregon on Thursday night.

UCLA men put away Washington on the road for third straight win

UCLA remained tough on the road despite Washington’s comeback bid.

On the road and under the lights, the UCLA Bruins took down the Washington Huskies 65-60 to improve to 14-6 and 5-4 in the Big Ten. Winners of three straight, the Bruins have snapped back into a rhythm after a tumultuous start to the calendar year.

However, things did not look good for the Bruins early. Forward Tyler Bilodeau left the game briefly with an apparent ankle injury. As the Bruins settled in, their shooting started to heat up.

The Bruins outshot the Huskies from three (52.9% to 22.7%), creating and finishing good looks beyond the arc all night.

Double-digit scoring performances from Eric Dailey Jr., Skyy Clark, Kobe Johnson, and Aday Mara off the bench helped lift the Bruins past the Great Osobor-led Huskies. Osobor finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds.

Down the stretch, as the Huskies tried to mount a late comeback at home, the Bruins held on and finished off Washington with a late three-pointer from Dylan Andrews to bring the lead to 63-57 with 17 seconds left. That was the dagger which sealed the UCLA win after Washington pulled within three points in the final minute.

As head coach Mick Cronin and the Bruins prepare for rival USC on Monday night, all eyes will be on Bilodeau’s availability, given his impact on UCLA’s offense in the paint.

UCLA rebounds against Iowa in strong showing at Pauley Pavilion

The Bruins answered the call against the Hawkeyes at home.

The UCLA Bruins were in desperate need of a win amid a four-game losing skid in the Big Ten. On Friday night, the Bruins answered the call, trouncing the Iowa Hawkeyes 94-70.

In the wall-to-wall dominant performance, the Bruins had a night-and-day turnaround, shooting 62.1% from the floor and 34.8% from three.

The Bruins received double-digit performances from four of their five starters, with guard Eric Dailey Jr. leading the way with 23 points and four assists. Forward Tyler Bilodeau bounced back from his six-point performance against Rutgers, adding 18 points and three rebounds.

Entering Friday night’s game, the Hawkeyes were a vulnerable visiting opponent, winless in all their road games. Mick Cronin and the Bruins took advantage to improve to 3-4 in the Big Ten, showcasing a sense of urgency not seen since the Bruins’ early-season loss to New Mexico.

By winning the turnover and rebounding battle, the Bruins earned their much-needed win on the boards and in their execution.

The Bruins will be tested again on January 21 against No. 24 Wisconsin, with a chance to build momentum at home.

Mick Cronin compares Eric Dailey Jr. to Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Eric Dialey Jr. and Jaime Jaquez Jr.? Mick Cronin thinks so.

How good will Oklahoma State transfer Eric Dailey Jr. be?

Well, UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin apparently has high expectations for the latest big name to transfer to Westwood.

Here is what Mick Cronin said while comparing Eric Dailey Jr. to Jaime Jaquez Jr., per the official release from the UCLA website:

“Eric is a big guard, built in the Jaime Jaquez Jr. mold. He can rebound like a big, but he is a young man with guard skills in a big, strong body.”

Being compared to a player such as Jaquez, who has made himself known in his rookie year in the NBA with the Miami Heat, is definitely a good sign for Dailey.

Dailey has some big shoes to fill if Cronin is thinking of him similarly to Jaime Jaquez Jr., but the talent is there. Add in the rest of the pieces in a roster that is loaded, and there is a lot of excitement for the future of UCLA men’s basketball.

Photos of new UCLA transfer Eric Dailey Jr.

Photos of Eric Dailey Jr. from his Oklahoma State tenure.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team landed a massive addition in the transfer portal with Oklahoma State’s Eric Dailey Jr. 

This adds to their impressive transfer haul including Skyy Clark and Kobe Johnson, and they have shown plenty more interest in other players.

Dailey is an exciting addition to this team and had fans buzzing with plenty of intrigue as they make the transition to the Big Ten Conference next season.

Dailey’s highlight reel is worth watching and here are some photos from his one year in Stillwater with the Cowboys. UCLA fans should be thrilled with him coming over to Westwood.

 

 

Notre Dame escapes Brooklyn with overtime win over Oklahoma State

That was a little too close.

It was fitting that Notre Dame drew Oklahoma State in the consolation game of the Legends Classic in Brooklyn. Both teams are at about the same level as far as turnover from last season. So it was only fitting that they went to overtime. But any Irish fan watching will tell you that it shouldn’t have gotten there despite a 66-64 win.

The Irish (2-2) had a 12-point lead in the second half, but a couple of scoring droughts allowed the Cowboys (1-3) to creep closer and closer. The lead had whittled down to one when Eric Dailey Jr. went to the free-throw line to potentially win it for the Cowboys. He instead split the free throws, and [autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] missed a buzzer-beater, necessitating the overtime.

The Irish trailed by as much as four in the extra session, but the game came down to free throws and defense. Both of those worked in the Irish’s favor.

Burton in particular was clutch at the line and was the leader in forcing the Cowboys to make mistakes on offense. Still, he missed one free throw in the final seconds of overtime that allowed John-Michael Wright to shoot a potential game-winning 3 at the buzzer that missed.

Burton fittingly led the Irish with 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting. [autotag]Julian Roper II[/autotag] had 12 points and eight rebounds, while [autotag]J.R. Konieczny[/autotag] completed his second straight double-double of 11 points and 10 boards in his first career start.

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