UCLA gets key guard back with Trent Perry announcing return

To those who say Mick Cronin is a coach few want to play for, that he’s too demanding and volatile, Trent Perry was just the latest to provide a retort in all capital letters.

“I’M BACKKKK,” the UCLA guard tweeted Saturday.

Perry’s return means that Cronin went 5 for 5 in his bid to retain every scholarship player with remaining eligibility. If guard Skyy Clark gets an extra year of eligibility after petitioning the NCAA, Cronin could go 6 for 6.

Perry coming back means that the Bruins appear to have their starting point guard for next season.

A midseason revelation after moving into the starting lineup upon Clark’s suffering a hamstring injury, Perry was one of the most improved players in the Big Ten.

His averages of 12.6 points and 2.8 assists more than tripled his freshman output, and his long-range accuracy improved from 34.3% to 39.2%. Perry was so good that he remained in the starting lineup after Clark returned following a 10-game absence.

When point guard Donovan Dent went down with a calf injury in the Big Ten Tournament, Perry stepped in and capably ran the team, compiling nine assists against Purdue.

Perry’s emergence prompted Cronin to openly lobby for his return as a junior on multiple occasions. Mission accomplished.

Perry became the fifth Bruin to say he would return next season, joining center Xavier Booker, guard Eric Freeny and forwards Eric Dailey Jr. and Brandon Williams. Perry and Dailey are likely to remain starters, with Booker possibly joining them on a part-time basis depending on matchups.

Clark could also return if the NCAA grants his request for another season after he played in only 13 games as a freshman at Illinois at a time when his father was battling serious health issues.

When the transfer portal opens Tuesday, UCLA is expected to target a starting-level guard, wing player and center in addition to a couple of reserves. The newcomers will be joined by incoming freshmen Joe Philon and Javonte Floyd.

Cronin, who didn’t get enough of the tough, physical defense he demands during a second consecutive season that ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, will presumably target those traits in the transfer portal.

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