LOS ANGELES – no. 12 UCLA (2-0) overcame a surprisingly tough matchup against Pepperdine University Friday night at Pauley Pavilion by a score of 74-63. The Waves came in hard with physical basketball and matched the Bruins in rebounding, though it was their shoddy shooting that spelled their downfall.
The win was also junior Eric Dailey Jr.’s first game of the season and his return was a triumphant one.
Dailey Jr.’s Comeback
He’s been a fixture of the Bruins since he transferred in ahead of his sophomore season, but a seemingly minor knee injury he suffered in the offseason kept him sidelined for roughly a month and forced him to miss UCLA’s season opener against Eastern Washington on Nov. 3. The Bruins pulled out a win, but Dailey Jr. was sorely missed. When he stepped onto the court Friday night, Pauley Pavilion roared.
“It’s good to have a crowd like that, getting us going early in the season, especially. It’s good to be back with my team. I just thank God, honestly. Thank God that I get to play with these guys,” Dailey Jr. said.
The junior made an impression with 10 points, four rebounds and two assists while shooting 3-4 from the field. He was one of four Bruins that hit double figures.
Beyond his on-court contributions, the energy and dedication he brings to the team introduces a whole new level of value and can light a fire under his squad.
“Just having him out there, his presence, his attitude, he brings a lot,” UCLA head coach Mick Cronin said. “You’ve got to have a guy that shows up every day with a smile and a love for the game and practices hard, just goes full speed. Like, we’ve missed him just for that reason… it’s great to have him back, you kidding me?”
Making a Position Switch
While missing a month of preseason makes shaking the rust off hard for any player, Dailey Jr. had the added challenge of making a position transition on top of rehabbing his injury.
He was primarily a shooting guard for the Bruins throughout the 2024-25 season, and he did it well it with an average of 11.4 points, four rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Now, Dailey Jr. has made the move to more of a small forward role and the time away from the court made that adjustment all the more challenging and his early success all the more impressive.
“He’s playing the three this year. He’s been out for a month, so he hasn’t had a crack at live practice at that position. So, it’s still going to be a work in progress for him,” Cronin said.
Cronin mentioned that some things, like adjusting to a zone offense, are going to be difficult for Dailey Jr. until he gets more repetitions in.
Now, what are Dailey Jr.’s thoughts on the new position?
“It’s basketball at the end of the day, I’m a hooper, so I can go out there, play, figure out my spots… [The} transition hasn’t been too hard for me, honestly. I know the game of basketball. Coach is teaching me a lot of things and [there’s] a lot of examples of threes that you can watch. So, it’s been a smooth transition.”
