It’s easy to see the talent of Eric Dailey Jr., the junior forward is 6’8” and is comfortable from deep. Dailey’s offense was huge for the UCLA Bruins on Friday, scoring a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds in UCLA’s round one win over UCF.
Dailey knew he was going to have to get the ball in the basket on Friday. UCLA was without leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau and UCLA’s other star, Donovan Dent, has some inconsistencies with his efficiency from the field without the season.
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Dailey wasn’t alone, Trent Perry, Skyy Clark and Xavier Booker all showed up for the Bruins, doing just enough to get the 75-71 win. Following the Bruins win, a reporter asked Dailey what was going through his mind during a slow start to the game in the first half.
“Nothing was going through my head.” Dailey Jr. said.
Before Dailey could even continue, a very proud Mick Cronin chimed in.
“I knew that was coming!” Cronin said while slapping Dailey on the arm. “Supreme confidence because he lives in the gym. He don’t ever hesitate. He wasn’t even worried. He was thinking, ‘The odds are I’m gonna make the next one.’”
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Dailey is in his second season with UCLA, putting up a career-high 11.6 points per game. Dailey’s shooting splits have taken a dip in his junior season but the talent is evident, it’s just a matter of that talent translating into games consistently.
UCLA’s recent injury issues have forced Dailey into a larger role and he’s been ready for it. Dailey has scored double-digits in seven-straight games, putting up over 15 points per game over that stretch.
If Dailey can keep these offensive performances coming with Dent and Bilodeau getting back in rhythm, then the UCLA offense becomes even harder to stop.
“Eric’s a super confident kid. He gives us the toughness we need.” Cronin said.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Eric Dailey Jr. was a cool customer in UCLA’s NCAA tournament opener