UCLA Basketball in trouble!

[pc in NM]

Helluva game!!!

[CalStateTempe]

UCLA will blow this. Just watch.

Good call, that was cold.

[dovecanyoncat]

Now that it's over and the universe dealt the Trollops what they morally deserve, ya gotta hand it to the team. I said to my wife when they didn't fold after the DAGGER! 3: "Just watch. They'll press and get at least one turn over and sink a 3. If they are within 2 possessions at any point hereafter the game can easily be theirs."

They are good team with a good coach. With all due respect: Die! Trollops! Die! Die! Fucking Die!

[pc in NM]

Now that it's over and the universe dealt the Trollops what they morally deserve, ya gotta hand it to the team. I said to my wife when they didn't fold after the DAGGER! 3: "Just watch. They'll press and get at least one turn over and sink a 3. If they are within 2 possessions at any point hereafter the game can easily be theirs."

They are good team with a good coach. With all due respect: Die! Trollops! Die! Die! Fucking Die!

LOL

I love it when the Big-10 bombs out of the Tournament!!

[dovecanyoncat]

Now that it's over and the universe dealt the Trollops what they morally deserve, ya gotta hand it to the team. I said to my wife when they didn't fold after the DAGGER! 3: "Just watch. They'll press and get at least one turn over and sink a 3. If they are within 2 possessions at any point hereafter the game can easily be theirs."

They are good team with a good coach. With all due respect: Die! Trollops! Die! Die! Fucking Die!

LOL

I love it when the Big-10 bombs out of the Tournament!!

Hehehehehehe

[Merkin]

Wow

[Beachcat97]

Watching UCLA’s heart get broken this time of year…it just never gets old.

Go Zags!

[MrBug708]

The game was a grueling battle that left us feeling like we had won and lost it multiple times. The defeat was particularly painful, but under Cronin's leadership, our team has once again given their all on the court, for the third time in four years. Despite missing two key starters, we came incredibly close.

It's unfortunate that Jaime wasn't able to lead us to another Final Four due to injuries at the end of the season. It's also sad to see David go, and possibly Tyger as well. These players will be missed, probably moreso than since when Afflalo and company left.

I'm eagerly anticipating the off-season to see how our team will shape up. However, one thing was clear from tonight's game - UCLA is back as a basketball program. We have a bright future ahead, with a coach who has shown an unrelenting desire to succeed. We couldn't ask for more.

[EastCoastCat]

So flipped on Boomer & Gio this morning. They of course showed the highlights at the end of the game but afterwards played clips of Cronin's postgame conference and of course he not disappoint. They asked "is he always this ornery?" But nobody knew. Haha.

"I have no opening statement so just ask questions. The only statement I want to make is that it took 35 minutes to hold this thing."

Other gems include:

on the Bruins’ scoring drought in the second half against Gonzaga:
Coach Cronin: “A lot of open shots that didn't go down. There's no hindsight – wide open shots. And multiple times we got fouled, no call. Dave and Tyger didn't make a basket in the second half. They had good looks and Jaime got murdered on about four layups.”

on the decision to not play Adem Bona
Coach Cronin: “He wasn't able to play. He wasn’t able to play. If I wanted to elaborate, I would elaborate.”

[CardiacCats97]

I don’t think Mick has ever or will ever take the high road. He’s a brawler in every interaction. I bet he makes store clerks count his change twice.

There’s something to be said for lauding your players and refusing to make excuses. It puts all the focus on their amazing achievement and none on what a surly cunt their coach is.

[Beachcat97]

I had to watch it twice when he threw Campbell and Singleton under the bus. That was one of the most spineless, least professional behaviors I’ve ever seen from a coach at a press conference. He’s a loser, as evidenced by his frequent losses to Gonzaga, Arizona and any actually good team he faces.

[EastCoastCat]

I don’t think Mick has ever or will ever take the high road. He’s a brawler in every interaction. I bet he makes store clerks count his change twice.

There’s something to be said for lauding your players and refusing to make excuses. It puts all the focus on their amazing achievement and none on what a surly cunt their coach is.

That's what I don't get. UCLA had a fantastic year and everyone on the planet knows they were shorthanded late in the season and in the Tourney. Anyone that has half a brain is acknowledging their performance and knows that even getting to the S16 was quite an accomplishment.

There was no reason to be such a prickly turd but I guess that's who he is. He talks about "what is expected" from UCLA but I guess having class is not something he believes is important.

[Merkin]

[dmjcat]

Personally I can't wait to see Micks act in the B1G.

Imagine UCLA making the rounds of the B1G venues for the very first time. For the first time in 60+ years UCLA will not be the Conference Royalty. The Refs won't give a rats ass about John Wooden, or the banners hanging from the rafters in Westwood. No, the UCLAns will be treated like a bunch of bastard stepchildren..........and watching Micks reaction will be priceless.

Imagine the 2500+ mile/5 hour plane flights back from the upper midwest with Mick Cronin after a UCLA loss. Do you really want to be a UCLA player who gets subjected to the Psychotic, foaming at the mouth troll with a Napolean Complex running up and down the aisle screaming about the officials??. I suspect its going to be hard to find an open bathroom on those flights as the players lock themselves in. The rest of his players will be pounding on the cockpit door or trying to fit themselves into the overhead luggage compartments.

And its all completely predictable. Can't wait for the show.

[dovecanyoncat]

He's ADORABLE! Don't ya just wanna pick him up and scratch your ass with him?

[MrBug708]

I don’t think Mick has ever or will ever take the high road. He’s a brawler in every interaction. I bet he makes store clerks count his change twice.

There’s something to be said for lauding your players and refusing to make excuses. It puts all the focus on their amazing achievement and none on what a surly cunt their coach is.

That's what I don't get. UCLA had a fantastic year and everyone on the planet knows they were shorthanded late in the season and in the Tourney. Anyone that has half a brain is acknowledging their performance and knows that even getting to the S16 was quite an accomplishment.

There was no reason to be such a prickly turd but I guess that's who he is. He talks about "what is expected" from UCLA but I guess having class is not something he believes is important.

I mean, this was from the press conference last night. Doesn't seem like he threw his players under the bus. But I get some people do believe coaching and praise is done in the press conference, not actually in practice.

Q. Knowing Jaime, Tyger and Dave, who elevated this program, won't play again together again. How hard is it to know it's come to an end?

COACH CRONIN: I told them how proud I was of them because they didn't flinch. I mean, you lose two of the best players in the Pac-12, defensive player of the year, freshman of the year, we still expect to win.

And I'm happy because they still expected to win. I'm happy that they still expected to win. And that we're still upset that we lost. I had people say what a game we played against Arizona in the conference finals. Thought you were going to get beat 25 without those two guys.

There's a lot of good teams out there this year but a lot of them got whacked by 20 on multiple nights. Not us, not us.

Took a great player, a 32-foot shot, and a great player in Drew Timme and a really tough whistle to send us home, despite everything we've been through.

Q. If you could kind of elaborate on what Jaime, Tyger and David have meant to this program, not just this year but the whole time they've been there, and what they've done to help elevate this program?

COACH CRONIN: Loyalty, which is rare in today's society, which is something that I have great respect for.

I have great respect for those three because when you watch them play you don't think, well, he should be better than that. When you watch Dave Singleton and you see he's limited athletically, and you see that he gets everything he can out of his body and his talent.

Tyger Campbell, unbelievable career. You can't get any more out of his body and his God-given things that he has that he can't change. He totally maxes it out.

And Jaime Jaquez, same thing. Came in to us as a human turnover the first two months. And I just played him because he was as crazy as me. We were losing. He was pissed. I said I can build a program with this guy because he's got heart. Now look at him.

But it proves, if you work hard, you have a great attitude, you can become a really, really good player. So that's why I respect those guys so much.

[pc in NM]

I don’t think Mick has ever or will ever take the high road. He’s a brawler in every interaction. I bet he makes store clerks count his change twice.

There’s something to be said for lauding your players and refusing to make excuses. It puts all the focus on their amazing achievement and none on what a surly cunt their coach is.

That's what I don't get. UCLA had a fantastic year and everyone on the planet knows they were shorthanded late in the season and in the Tourney. Anyone that has half a brain is acknowledging their performance and knows that even getting to the S16 was quite an accomplishment.

There was no reason to be such a prickly turd but I guess that's who he is. He talks about "what is expected" from UCLA but I guess having class is not something he believes is important.

I mean, this was from the press conference last night. Doesn't seem like he threw his players under the bus. But I get some people do believe coaching and praise is done in the press conference, not actually in practice.

Q. Knowing Jaime, Tyger and Dave, who elevated this program, won't play again together again. How hard is it to know it's come to an end?

COACH CRONIN: I told them how proud I was of them because they didn't flinch. I mean, you lose two of the best players in the Pac-12, defensive player of the year, freshman of the year, we still expect to win.

And I'm happy because they still expected to win. I'm happy that they still expected to win. And that we're still upset that we lost. I had people say what a game we played against Arizona in the conference finals. Thought you were going to get beat 25 without those two guys.

There's a lot of good teams out there this year but a lot of them got whacked by 20 on multiple nights. Not us, not us.

Took a great player, a 32-foot shot, and a great player in Drew Timme and a really tough whistle to send us home, despite everything we've been through.

Q. If you could kind of elaborate on what Jaime, Tyger and David have meant to this program, not just this year but the whole time they've been there, and what they've done to help elevate this program?

COACH CRONIN: Loyalty, which is rare in today's society, which is something that I have great respect for.

I have great respect for those three because when you watch them play you don't think, well, he should be better than that. When you watch Dave Singleton and you see he's limited athletically, and you see that he gets everything he can out of his body and his talent.

Tyger Campbell, unbelievable career. You can't get any more out of his body and his God-given things that he has that he can't change. He totally maxes it out.

And Jaime Jaquez, same thing. Came in to us as a human turnover the first two months. And I just played him because he was as crazy as me. We were losing. He was pissed. I said I can build a program with this guy because he's got heart. Now look at him.

But it proves, if you work hard, you have a great attitude, you can become a really, really good player. So that's why I respect those guys so much.

Honestly, one doesn't get the effort and competitiveness that he's gotten from those guys without mutual respect and trust!! Still, he does have an asshole persona!!

[MrBug708]

I think Mick's drive for perfection, including his press conference personality, is what makes him so good of a coach. Players love him, so the press conference soundbytes end up as message board fodder more than anything

[dovecanyoncat]

Mick is a singular guy and I'd love to spend a night drinking with him. I bet he'd be fucking hilarious and vulgar, two qualities I appreciate. I bet he'd go all night and always stand his round. And you could use him as a shuffleboard puck.

[Merkin]

Mick is a singular guy and I'd love to spend a night drinking with him. I bet he'd be fucking hilarious and vulgar, two qualities I appreciate. I bet he'd go all night and always stand his round. And you could use him as a shuffleboard puck.

Reminds me of someone.

[Alieberman]

2 things can be true.

Cronin has a major case of Short Man's Disease

Cronin is a very good coach.

If I was a UCLA fan- I'd be proud as hell at last night's performance.

But I'm not.... so FUCK UCLA!

[pc in NM]

2 things can be true.

Cronin has a major case of Short Man's Disease

Cronin is a very good coach.

If I was a UCLA fan- I'd be proud as hell at last night's performance.

But I'm not.... so FUCK UCLA!

I liked that Mick is bragging on their competitiveness against us in our victory in Vegas!!

[Merkin]

UCLA will blow this. Just watch.

They couldn’t make a shot, missing 11 straight at one point in the second half, going 11 minutes, 16 seconds without a field goal.

[IrishAzCat]

[dovecanyoncat]

You needn't even chop him up to use him as chum.

[EastCoastCat]

Irish is just killing it...

[TheCatInTheHat]

God, when somebody's so dumb you don't even have to photoshop to make fun of them...

So notwithstanding the brainwashed fanboy narrative among the rah-rah LA sports media and others, the real story line is that a senior-dominated and favored team playing in a convenient and familiar venue (with available personnel already taken into account) was up by 13 at halftime and blew that lead. Full stop. Anything else is a lame attempt at press secretary excuse-making spin and hyperventilation to demand squealing out the final word. The final word is 79-76. So what remains of any consequence is November 4 at Arizona Stadium (without the pre-annointed college POY DTR), a Q1 2024 hoops game at Pauley (without Tiger-with-a-Y), and maybe another in mid-March at McKale North (Mick the Dick's favorite court.) Then, it's the Pac-12 boycott, long flights to the frozen rust belt, and non-conference games with UC Davis and Fresno.

Fin.

[RawleArenas]

I apologize in advance to the BDW board...but UCLA has long replaced ASU as my most hated school in the Pac. I get a special joy in seeing them lose, especially when we beat them in the Pac tourney. Just watching Mick storm off after the game following Ramey hitting the go ahead three really made my day. Don't know why. It's like Christmas, Easter and my birthday all rolled into one.

My list of Pac schools I dislike the most are as follows:

1. UCLA
2.Oregon
3. ASU


Sorry to disappoint the Sparkies, but you have to least to be competitive with us to draw my ire.

[Beachcat97]

I apologize in advance to the BDW board...but UCLA has long replaced ASU as my most hated school in the Pac. I get a special joy in seeing them lose, especially when we beat them in the Pac tourney. Just watching Mick storm off after the game following Ramey hitting the go ahead three really made my day. Don't know why. It's like Christmas, Easter and my birthday all rolled into one.

My list of Pac schools I dislike the most are as follows:

1. UCLA
2.Oregon
3. ASU


Sorry to disappoint the Sparkies, but you have to least to be competitive with us to draw my ire.

Oregon, eh? I'd put Gonzaga in the top 3. We have just as much history with them as ucla, if not more.

another part of this story: back to back seasons ucla started the season as a top 5 team. both seasons, two and done in the tourney. they also had the best freshman class in the pac, swept all the awards. nothing to show for it.

I'm so freaking glad cronin is not our coach. career-long underachiever. and personality-wise, he's like howland with gonorrhea.

[MrBug708]

I'm glad RC's self proclaimed exile lasted...one week..haha At least he's still on brand for ignoring the inconvenient truths!

[PHXCATS]

UA and UCLA both being good helps both schools. Will be interesting to see what happens after ucla leaves for the Big Ten. I will miss them

[Beachcat97]

I'm glad RC's self proclaimed exile lasted...one week..haha At least he's still on brand for ignoring the inconvenient truths!

Inconvenient truths: AZ won the season series with ucla. again. and has won 4 out of the last 5 games in the series.

[Merkin]

UA and UCLA both being good helps both schools. Will be interesting to see what happens after ucla leaves for the Big Ten. I will miss them

Same. Hopefully they continue the series as OOC foes with alternating home and homes.

[MrBug708]

I'm glad RC's self proclaimed exile lasted...one week..haha At least he's still on brand for ignoring the inconvenient truths!

Inconvenient truths: AZ won the season series with ucla. again. and has won 4 out of the last 5 games in the series.

Most Arizona fans have bigger goals in than beating UCLA. But you've never let being a good fan stand in the way of being a a clown poster either.

[IrishAzCat]

Irish is just killing it...

Thanks! It's hard work, but somebody has to do it...

[wyo-cat]

I personally think Mick is a bellend.

I have a friend of a family member who is friends with him. The guy doesn’t follow college hoops and they talk about other stuff. Apparently, Mick is a really good guy if you’re one of his buddies.

[dovecanyoncat]

I'm glad RC's self proclaimed exile lasted...one week..haha At least he's still on brand for ignoring the inconvenient truths!

Inconvenient truths: AZ won the season series with ucla. again. and has won 4 out of the last 5 games in the series.

STOP MAKING SHIT UP!!!

[dovecanyoncat]

I personally think Mick is a bellend.

Brilliant! So when he gets dirty he's a putz as well!

[George Costanza]

Nice to see at least one Pac 12 school isn't embarrassing the conference and as usual it's the Bruins. I picked UCLA to go all the way to the championship game and per the norm it looks like I'll be right. Mick Cronin deserves NCOY. He's found a way to get the job done despite multiple injuries. Great coaches find a way and get the most out of their players.

You could make some serious bank on sports betting if you would follow my lead and "do the opposite".

[MrBug708]

Jaylen Clark declared for the NBA draft. He was a second round pick before the injury. Curious to see what the injury does. If a team doesn't mind using a second on a kid with elite defensive abilities and rehab him for part of next year, it's a pretty good steal. If he comes back to UCLA he probably doesn't play until mid conference anyways.

Amari Bailey will be next

[MrBug708]

Nwuba announces he will return for his COVID year.

Whispers that Tyger will take his last year and go get paid as a grad transfer

[TheCat]

I don’t think Mick has ever or will ever take the high road. He’s a brawler in every interaction. I bet he makes store clerks count his change twice.

There’s something to be said for lauding your players and refusing to make excuses. It puts all the focus on their amazing achievement and none on what a surly cunt their coach is.

That's what I don't get. UCLA had a fantastic year and everyone on the planet knows they were shorthanded late in the season and in the Tourney. Anyone that has half a brain is acknowledging their performance and knows that even getting to the S16 was quite an accomplishment.

There was no reason to be such a prickly turd but I guess that's who he is. He talks about "what is expected" from UCLA but I guess having class is not something he believes is important.

I mean, this was from the press conference last night. Doesn't seem like he threw his players under the bus. But I get some people do believe coaching and praise is done in the press conference, not actually in practice.

Q. Knowing Jaime, Tyger and Dave, who elevated this program, won't play again together again. How hard is it to know it's come to an end?

COACH CRONIN: I told them how proud I was of them because they didn't flinch. I mean, you lose two of the best players in the Pac-12, defensive player of the year, freshman of the year, we still expect to win.

And I'm happy because they still expected to win. I'm happy that they still expected to win. And that we're still upset that we lost. I had people say what a game we played against Arizona in the conference finals. Thought you were going to get beat 25 without those two guys.

There's a lot of good teams out there this year but a lot of them got whacked by 20 on multiple nights. Not us, not us.

Took a great player, a 32-foot shot, and a great player in Drew Timme and a really tough whistle to send us home, despite everything we've been through.

Q. If you could kind of elaborate on what Jaime, Tyger and David have meant to this program, not just this year but the whole time they've been there, and what they've done to help elevate this program?

COACH CRONIN: Loyalty, which is rare in today's society, which is something that I have great respect for.

I have great respect for those three because when you watch them play you don't think, well, he should be better than that. When you watch Dave Singleton and you see he's limited athletically, and you see that he gets everything he can out of his body and his talent.

Tyger Campbell, unbelievable career. You can't get any more out of his body and his God-given things that he has that he can't change. He totally maxes it out.

And Jaime Jaquez, same thing. Came in to us as a human turnover the first two months. And I just played him because he was as crazy as me. We were losing. He was pissed. I said I can build a program with this guy because he's got heart. Now look at him.

But it proves, if you work hard, you have a great attitude, you can become a really, really good player. So that's why I respect those guys so much.

I'm sure this was a compliment by Bug to prove how great a guy Cronin is. I see excuses why he lost. Guys injured, tough whistle, limited players that he coached the best out of. Well when we played UCLA we had two guys injured, one with a broken hand but it was never mentioned by the coach. This was a blown game after a thirteen point halftime lead from an elite defensive team. Cronin has repeatedly been unable to make adjustments in the second half of games this year. UCLA won most of them and that is all that matters but that has been a trend all year.
Tyger and JJJ are likeable guys even to Arizona fans. Just sorry to see that Cronin only sees loyalty when there is much more.

[MrBug708]

What? The comment was "There’s something to be said for lauding your players" insinuating that Mick never did that and I merely quoted the press conference word for word. I'm sorry it didn't fit the narrative lol

[EastCoastCat]

I think the point Bug is not that Mic doesn’t commend his players, especially when softball questions such as “what has your best players over the last couple of years meant to your program?” are asked. It’s that the several whiny, being a dick, almost Bobby Knight-esque comments overshadow everything else he says.

[CardiacCats97]

I think the point Bug is not that Mic doesn’t commend his players, especially when softball questions such as “what has your best players over the last couple of years meant to your program?” are asked. It’s that the several whiny, being a dick, almost Bobby Knight-esque comments overshadow everything else he says.

Exactly this. If all he did after a game was laud his players and tip his cap to the other team he wouldn’t be known as a whiny douche with a napoleon complex.

[MrBug708]

I think the point Bug is not that Mic doesn’t commend his players, especially when softball questions such as “what has your best players over the last couple of years meant to your program?” are asked. It’s that the several whiny, being a dick, almost Bobby Knight-esque comments overshadow everything else he says.

Exactly this. If all he did after a game was laud his players and tip his cap to the other team he wouldn’t be known as a whiny douche with a napoleon complex.

But in the end, it means almost nothing except to work up message board posters for a few fleeting moments. His players love him. I'm assuming because they know praise in a press conference is hollow. I'd rather see passion than a milquetoast coach who offers up nothing of substance. The only people bothered by it are people who don't matter. He's never not given credit to the other team. The losses as re on him, I've posted quotes in this thread before. It's a rivalry. I get it. I love that he fires everyone up so much.

[EastCoastCat]

I think the point Bug is not that Mic doesn’t commend his players, especially when softball questions such as “what has your best players over the last couple of years meant to your program?” are asked. It’s that the several whiny, being a dick, almost Bobby Knight-esque comments overshadow everything else he says.

Exactly this. If all he did after a game was laud his players and tip his cap to the other team he wouldn’t be known as a whiny douche with a napoleon complex.

But in the end, it means almost nothing except to work up message board posters for a few fleeting moments. His players love him. I'm assuming because they know praise in a press conference is hollow. I'd rather see passion than a milquetoast coach who offers up nothing of substance. The only people bothered by it are people who don't matter. He's never not given credit to the other team. The losses as re on him, I've posted quotes in this thread before. It's a rivalry. I get it. I love that he fires everyone up so much.

I think you are getting a bit over the top. All it is is a simple observation that the UCLA coach is s bit of a dick during his presser. It doesn’t bother me nor do Arizona fans really care either.

Btw, i don’t think your statement “he’s never not given credit to the other team” is accurate unless backhanded comments count.

Btw, it’s no longer a rivalry since you are now a B1G school.

[CardiacCats97]

I have heard from fans of non-PAC schools, and fans of Cincy rivals that all think the same thing. He whines and moans and complains and in general is an unlikeable shit. I wouldn’t want him as my team’s coach, but if he was I’d probably defend him too.

[Merkin]

Lute was pretty prickly too.

[dovecanyoncat]

Miller was all sweetness and light. Rainbows and unicorns flew out of his ass on the sideline.