News analysis: Losing Jaylen Clark doesn’t spell the end of the road for UCLA’s title hopes

Jaylen Clark’s lower leg injury changes things.

If UCLA handles the situation right, maybe not everything.

The potential loss of the team’s defensive maestro, Jaylen Clark, dubbed the “man of steel,” at the end of the season due to an Achilles tendon injury sustained in last weekend’s victory against Arizona is clearly a major blow to the national championship hopes, the Bruins.

It doesn’t have to be deadly.

Fortunately for the Bruins, they have a veteran sixth man in the starting eleven and two other active defenders on the bench who can largely make up for Clark’s absence. Besides, they’ve done it all before.

Clark tweeted two hearts and a thank you emoji late Saturday after returning to the UCLA bench on crutches with one foot in a walking boot. Just over two minutes into the second half, he made his way to the bench before being overcome with emotion and needing help in the dressing room.

UCLA coach Mick Cronin said Tuesday that Clark is out this week for the Pac-12 tournament and will not travel to Las Vegas, adding that the Bruins will speak to the NCAA tournament selection committee if they agree to Clark’s continued availability .

“I don’t try to avoid things with the tournament committee,” Cronin said, “so if they want to communicate with us, I’m sure they will.”

The loss of the team’s best defender is not to be underestimated. Clark is a National Defensive Player of the Year contender who led the Pac-12 conference with 2.6 steals per game and can defend any position on the field. With his active hands, quick feet and relentless approach, he often made it difficult for those he was guarding to clear a pass cleanly.

Clark was an emotional spark en route to winning the team’s Hungry Dog Award, a rawhide dog bone that goes to the player who achieves the most deflections: steals, blocks, tipped passes, and collected loose balls. At the beginning of the second half of the regular season finale.

“Jaylen Clark is an incredibly mature kid, so he’s in a great place mentally and looking out for his teammates,” Cronin said.

There are no downsides to the situation, but a little perspective and planning can calm anxiety and nerves. UCLA has previously overcome significant absenteeism. It had been two years since Chris Smith, the team’s second leading scorer, was lost to a mid-season knee injury, just before Jalen Hill, the Bruins’ top center back, left to deal with anxiety and depression.

Do you remember what happened next? This team made it to the Final Four.

The Bruins have suffered a serious injury this season. Freshman guard Amari Bailey missed more than a month with left foot problems. Cronin brought sixth man David Singleton into the starting line-up, gave newcomers Dylan Andrews and Will McClendon extra minutes off the bench and the team won 6–1 before Bailey returned.

Like Clark, the 6-foot-2 Andrews is a defensive troublemaker who can harass opponents with his ability to flip and steal passes. Andrews helped the Bruins to an away win against Arizona State that season with seven points in the first half and a steal that he followed up with a breakaway dunk.

McClendon is a promising 3-and-D player who needs to regain his confidence after missing last season with a knee injury. He hit just two of 23 threes (0.087%) in his debut season, but his shots aren’t the reason his rating skyrocketed; His defensive acumen and activity will be vital for the Bruins to continue playing in April.

There may also be a handful of minutes for freshman swingman Abramo Canka, whose height and poise in a limited role have made him a player UCLA fans will love to see in seasons to come. This timeline could only have been moved up significantly.

“An opportunity,” Cronin said. “A big problem for small children. I’ve said all year that I believe in our young people. … A fun week to give these guys a chance to play and see how things are going.

Cronin has long derided conference tournaments as essentially pointless, with some valid examples to support his claim. He lost in the first round and made a Final Four. He won the thing and lost his next game, ending his season.

It will be different. These next matches will be crucial. The top-seeded UCLA will have to figure out their rotations and minute spreads during a Pac-12 tournament quarterfinal against Colorado or Washington starting Thursday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Betting on singleton begins. Bet on Andrews and McClendon playing more minutes off the bench. And when they play to their fullest, you can bet the Bruins will continue to be impressive.