UCLA defense is starting to defend at a high level

Oregon v UCLA | Harry How/GettyImagesThe UCLA defense is continuing to get better as each game goes by. The guys are communicating better, and the rotations seem to be more crisp. It also helps that they are now playing with their main starting lineup. The Oregon game marked the first time that they have had that group for back-to-back games to start. Consistency is a big part of basketball and having so many rotating pieces can throw things off. You want your starting five in as many games as possible to keep rhythm.

Mick Cronin has always stressed defense in his teams. UCLA did not start out the season well as they allowed lower-level teams to get easy looks. As Eastern Washington and…