After maddening start, UCLAs season is finally on the upswing

Maybe a referendum on what’s wrong with UCLA basketball isn’t necessary, or at least can be put on hold.The team that’s shown up over the last few games is the one most people were expecting all season.Donovan Dent has been a blur on his way to the rim.Xavier Booker has been an adequate rebounder and defender.

Tyler Bilodeau has been a scoring machine.More significantly, the Bruins have played defense at an acceptable level for a coach who demands it.They have withstood a demoralizing stretch — and a hamstring injury to guard Skyy Clark — to show their upside with an upset of then-No.4 Purdue.

They backed it up by beating Northwestern and Oregon, giving them five victories in six games.But these are just baby steps toward a possible maturation.UCLA remains firmly on the NCAA tournament bubble, never a good place for a college basketball blue blood.Should the Bruins falter over the next month, they could miss the only postseason tournament that matters for the second time in three years.That would make coach Mick Cronin’s seat unbearably hot going into next season, massive buyout be damned.Here’s a look at where the Bruins stand and what they need to do to finish the season on the upswing:Most projections have the Bruins as a No.

10 seed, with ESPN’s Joe Lunardi projecting them as one of the last teams to avoid the dreaded “Last Four In.”With half the Big Ten schedule remaining, UCLA (15-6 overall, 7-3 Big Ten) needs to go 6-4 or better the rest of the way to avoid any palpitations on Selection Sunday.The team’s lack of meaningful nonconference victories will likely require an upper-tier Big Ten finish to make the NCAA tournament.There’s plenty of Quad 1 opportunities ahead with games against Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois and Nebraska on the horizon.Sophomore guard Trent Perry has made such a massive leap in recent weeks that Cronin already commenced efforts to bring him back next season.“I was able to trick into coming here,” Cro...