In a bit of a typo, I originally wrote that headline as “UCLA shows its warts in season-ending loss to UCLA” but I don’t know if that would have perhaps been more apt. After Utah State and that resounding 72-47 victory, I wrote about how UCLA had demonstrated its upside, with its guards finally playing well, Aday Mara fitting in perfectly as a major force in the paint, and the defense locking in for a full 40 minutes.

Take advantage of Bruin Report Online’s GREAT 50% off deal!!! Join the No. 1 independent source on UCLA sports and recruiting with a great offer, and get all the insider info on the NCAA Tournament, the hoops and football transfer portal and football spring practice!!! Get unmatched insider Bruin coverage for just $1!! There is no promo code required for this offer, just HIT THIS LINK now, and you’ll be good to go. This offer ends THURSDAY, March 27 at 9 p.m. (3.27.25)!!

After Tennessee, though, what we saw was more the team we’ve seen all year – the one with all the warts. In Saturday’s dispiriting, 67-58 round of 32 drubbing at the hands of the Volunteers, all of UCLA’s biggest issues came to the fore again, as if to bring us all back to this team’s reality after the high of Thursday.

There was the terrible, uneven guard play from everyone not named Skyy Clark. There was the inexplicably absent Eric Dailey performing yet another disappearing act. There were the multiple head-scratching plays in critical moments that were almost entirely absent in the first four years under Mick Cronin.

It was a frustrating and maddening game, but all too familiar to anyone who sat through the Maryland, Michigan, or New Mexico games. When UCLA has faced elite defenses this year, the Bruins have wilted, far too often, and this was another where the Bruins competed hard for 20 minutes, but couldn’t summon the will, intensity, and mental fortitude to do it for a full 40 – and certainly not with the guard play UCLA has brought to the court this year.