LOS ANGELES — Once again, Mick Cronin proved to be exactly who the college basketball stratosphere thinks he is. A harsh, fickle, no-nonsense head coach.

This should have been an ordinary Tuesday night in November, an unassuming nonconference game against Sacramento State. With Cronin, expect the unexpected. He shook things up, altering four of the five spots in the starting lineup.

“They pay me to win games and I thought that was the lineup that was ready to play tonight,” Cronin explained after the game.

If that’s the case, there will be no interruption to his paychecks as No. 19 UCLA cruised to a 79-48 victory over Sacramento State. There might, however, be issues if he had pulled this stunt against No. 4 Arizona last Friday or a Big Ten opponent later this season.

“I don’t believe in messages,” Cronin insisted.

Albeit, there was little risk in sending one to his starters while playing Sacramento State (3-3). His decision, he said, was made because the reserves outscored the starters by 20 points in practice. So he put them on the court first, alongside Eric Dailey Jr., who according to Cronin, took it to heart, and ultimately responded, leading UCLA with a double-double on Tuesday (15 points and 10 rebounds).

“I thought they were going to give us the best chance to get off to a great start,” Cronin said.

Indeed, the new-look starting lineup jumped out to a 13-0 lead. Jamar Brown drew an and-one opportunity off a nifty Euro-step in transition. Trent Perry drew an and-one on a late-shot clock 3-pointer.

Then, one-by-one, the normal starters checked in, but it took until the 12:37 mark of the first half for Donovan Dent to see the floor. On his first touch, he found Skyy Clark for a corner 3-pointer.

His first points of the game, however, didn’t come until the 15:03 mark of the second half on an and-one layup. He missed that free throw. He missed the front-end of another pair of freebies minutes later. He missed both attempts at the line on his next trip.

His body language and effort was disconcerting. Either he didn’t feel the need to exert extra energy because of the competition level or he’s still recovering from the muscle strain and illness that have limited his practice time and kept him out of UCLA’s game against West Georgia.

Whatever the reason, UCLA’s top transfer wasn’t himself, and hasn’t been all season.

After trailing 22-4, Sacramento briefly cut the margin to 13, but UCLA kicked back into gear. Brown knocked down a 3-pointer, then found Xavier Booker Jr. for a layup.

The Bruins finished the first half with 33 deflections, a mark largely buoyed by the reserves-turned-starters – including five from Steven Jamerson II despite playing just 10 minutes before sustaining an ankle injury.

“I’m proud of the guys that started,” Dailey said.

Cronin would have been pleased with that deflection count over a full 40 minutes against a Big Ten team.

That satisfaction didn’t last, though, because in the second half, when he reinstated his normal starting lineup, that group allowed an instant 5-0 run from the Hornets. A hockey-style shift ensued. The Hornets ultimately scored nine unanswered points before Dailey broke the surge with a putback layup.

UCLA recorded just nine deflections in the second half. The Bruins finished with 15 turnovers. They allowed 13 offensive rebounds to a Big Sky team whose tallest rotation player is 6-foot-8.

Cronin might claim he wasn’t sending a message, but the majority of his roster could use it to find their spark.

Perry certainly doesn’t need the ignition. He plays with a joy and motor that can act as an example for his teammates.

After scoring just three points against Arizona, he resumed his string of positive play, scoring 11 points as he took advantage of another increased opportunity.

Perry’s development has been one of the few positives five games into UCLA’s season. As has Booker’s, who continued to improve in his adjustment to playing center. Dailey, too, demonstrated why he remained in the starting five – with his play, but moreso through his leadership. He offered uplifting words, praising each of the four new starters. He met Cronin’s antics head on, having the discipline to heed them.

“Applying what he says really works,” Dailey said. “He really knows what he’s talking about. He’s a great coach. He’s not going to ask us to do nothing we’re not capable of.”

Clearly, Dailey’s normal running-mates didn’t prove that capability. Or else they would have continued to start alongside him.

Only time will tell if they return to those spots. But they’ll certainly have to earn them back because, message or not Cronin has made it clear, starting is a privilege not a right.

“My feeling is you better start the lineup that’s going to play the best defense possible and not turn the ball over,” he said. “We’re searching.”