UCLA sophomore Guard Trent Perry ’24 and the Bruins have been one of the Big Ten’s most interesting teams all season, sitting at 19-9 overall and 11-6 in conference play. The Bruins have showcased their classic playing style under Mick Cronin, with physical defense and disciplined possessions, yet they lack consistent performance, keeping them hardly within the field of the 68 schools that will compete in March Madness.
Volatility has defined UCLA’s season. The Bruins have had an incredible win against Purdue, the fourth ranked team in the nation. Perry contributed 11 points and four rebounds, and the win was ultimately sealed by a go-ahead three pointer from senior forward Tyler Bilodeau within the final eight seconds. However, in early February the Bruins struggled, losing to Ohio State by 12, Indiana in overtime at home, and had dropped two games in a row to Michigan by 30 and Michigan State by 23. Since then, the Bruins have secured two good wins, one on a buzzer beater against No. 10 Illinois and another against their rival USC.
Perry started at point guard for the Wolverines for three seasons, leading them to two state championships in his time at the school. Perry played 11 minutes a game his freshman year. Still, he stayed with the Bruins, and has evolved into a consistent starter for them. Perry is averaging 12.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 28 minutes, while shooting 46% from the field. Perry’s highest scoring game came on the road against Penn State, dropping 30 points on 82% true shooting, carrying the Bruins to a 71-60 win. Since then, Perry has had multiple huge games, including a 25 point and 7 rebound performance against Indiana University that featured a Perry three pointer with two seconds left to send the game to overtime, and a 23 point game to secure a win against Washington University.
With the postseason approaching, UCLA’s recent wins have moved them up from a play-in game. Now ESPN’s most recent Bracketology projects them to be a 10 seed in the tournament. UCLA has three games left in their regular season, including a game against 12th ranked Nebraska University. If Trent Perry and the Bruins can have a strong finish, they will secure their spot in the tournament as a team with a proven ability to pull off an big upsets behind big games from Trent Perry.
