It’s easy to see the talent in Eric Dailey Jr., a 6-foot-8 small forward who is comfortable playing deep. Dailey was a standout in the UCLA Bruins’ offense on Friday, scoring a team-high 20 points and grabbing eight rebounds in UCLA’s first-round win over UCF.
Daly knew he had to put the ball in the basket on Friday. UCLA lost leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau, and UCLA’s other star, Donovan Dent, has been somewhat inconsistent in his effectiveness on the court without a season.
advertise
Daly wasn’t alone, Trent Perry, Skye Clark and Xavier Booker all played for the Bruins, and their performance was enough to help the team win 75-71. After the Bruins’ win, a reporter asked Daly what he was thinking during a slow start to the game in the first half.
“I had nothing on my mind,” Daley Jr. said.
Before Daley could continue, a very proud Mick Cronin interjected.
“I knew that was coming!” Cronin said, patting Daly on the arm. “Super confident because he lives in the gym. He never hesitates. He’s not even worried. He’s thinking, ‘There’s a good chance I’m going to get the next one.'”
advertise
This is Daly’s second season at UCLA, averaging a career-high 11.6 points per game. Daly’s shooting percentages declined during his junior season, but his talent is obvious, it’s just a question of consistently converting that talent into games.
UCLA’s recent injury woes have forced Daley into a bigger role, and he’s ready. Daly has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games, averaging over 15 points per game.
If Dailey can maintain these offensive performances as Dent and Bilodeau get back into rhythm, UCLA’s offense will become even more difficult to stop.
“Eric is a super confident kid. He gives us the toughness we need,” Cronin said.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Eric Dailey Jr. is UCLA’s cool client in NCAA tournament opener