Tay’s Takedown: Cronin’s honesty serves as foundation to rebuild program with discipline, love
Coach Mick Cronin has repeatedly criticized his team for a lack of defensive execution, as he and UCLA men’s basketball currently sit at 9-9 just over halfway through the season. (Amy Dixon/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Jared Tay
Jan. 23, 2020 1:37 a.m.
When Mick Cronin first took the podium at his inaugural press conference in April, he said there’s one thing people need to know about him.
He’s honest.
Over seven months later, the first-year coach for UCLA men’s basketball (9-9, 2-3 Pac-12) hasn’t strayed from that defining characteristic. Amid the 18 games where his squad has struggled mightily on both sides of the ball, Cronin’s hard-line stance and harsh words are exactly what the program needs as it moves through the rebuilding process.
Cronin – who said in his intro press conference he spells “love” and “discipline” the same way – hasn’t been shy about coming down hard on his players after losses, detailing to the public his unhappiness with the team’s performance, often in the most blunt way possible during conferences with the media.
“I apologize to our fans for our defensive effort,” Cronin said to reporters following UCLA’s historic 77-74 loss to Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 28. “It’s beyond sickening. Sickening at the highest level. I don’t know how else to describe it to you.”
During practice that week, Cronin went so far as to strip himself and his players of all apparel bearing the four letters of UCLA at the next practice.
In its next game on the road against Washington – a team that was 10-3 entering the matchup – UCLA came out with the win behind seven 3-pointers from freshman guard/forward Jake Kyman, while holding the Huskies under Cronin’s self-imposed benchmark of 70 points.
The Bruins’ performance in Seattle and Cronin’s decision to take away UCLA uniforms in practice obviously didn’t turn the season around. Clearly, things don’t change overnight.
But what Cronin’s decision shows is his unwillingness to put up with his team’s poor defensive execution.
Perhaps a better illustration of the coach’s honesty came after UCLA’s loss to Stanford on Jan. 15 – its first loss to the Cardinal in Pauley Pavilion since 2005. After the game, Cronin spoke on his team’s selfishness, saying certain guys on his team didn’t want to pass the ball.
He went on to seemingly call out redshirt senior guard Prince Ali – who had started in all but two games before then – for not listening in practice.
“I’m looking for guys that can listen,” Cronin said. “We’ve got guys that refuse to listen, so I told them I’m done protecting them. If you ask me about a certain guy, that’s the answer.”
Ali saw just two minutes of action against the Cardinal that night.
He expanded on his displeasure with the veterans of the squad, again seeming to single out Ali and redshirt senior forward Alex Olesinski about their lack of defensive ability, even as the oldest members of the team.
“Our older guys are bad defensive players,” Cronin said. “It’s not like they didn’t do scouting reports before me. If you’re in your fifth year, you should know how to play defense.”
Cronin faced backlash after his comments that night, with former Bruin Matt Barnes tweeting – and then deleting – an angry comment about the coach throwing his players under the bus.
What Barnes was implying was that Cronin was trying to divert blame away from himself for the loss. Cronin didn’t do that.
What he did do was admonish the team in a harsh and public way when it didn’t meet his expectations. It was tough love, and it was totally fair.
Love and discipline are spelled the same way.
At least on the record, some of Cronin’s players seem to be taking his message in stride. After the Stanford loss, redshirt sophomore forward/center Jalen Hill said Cronin was one of the few people who had the team’s back, despite the coach’s harsh words for the team minutes earlier in the pressroom.
And after UCLA’s latest win against California, freshman guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. said the criticism was Cronin’s way of bringing the best out of the team.
The best of the team has yet to be on display this season. Yet, amid rebuilding the program, Cronin’s willingness to openly criticize the team shows he’s someone who’s apt to lead. He has a clear vision of what Bruin basketball looks like, and when it doesn’t come to fruition, he’ll let people know.
It’s this type of top-down, headstrong leadership that this young squad needs. It’s the type of straightforwardness that Bruin fans should expect out of UCLA Athletics.
When it would otherwise be easy to blow smoke and erect mirrors as the program tries to return to its storied past, Cronin is making one thing clear.
In Pauley Pavilion – at least – honesty and transparency are two concepts that are alive and well.
