Coach Mick Cronin has long been touted as a defensive mastermind.

Under his tutelage, former UCLA men’s basketball standouts Jaylen Clark and Adem Bona earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2023 and 2024, respectively, with the former also taking home a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year honor just two seasons ago.

Cronin’s defensive tactics have widely been attributed to the two years he spent as an assistant coach at Louisville, working alongside former Cardinals coach – and current St. John’s coach – Rick Pitino.

Pitino, who is acclaimed for his 2-3 defensive zone scheme and aggressive full-court pressure, is no stranger to seeing his former comrades become head honchos. Twenty-one former players and coaches have become Division I head coaches after playing under Pitino.

With Pitino imparting his tactics on his staff throughout the years, it is no surprise that Cronin has injected this defensive philosophy into the players he has commanded at UCLA.

“(Deflections) are definitely something I’m emphasizing more, but I’ve always been a pretty good defender,” said junior guard Skyy Clark. “I’ve definitely taken another step this year, but I think one of the biggest parts is having so many guys around me. I don’t really have to do so much on offense, so I can conserve some more energy for defense.”

UCLA’s defensive tenacity was evident in its latest fixture, posting a 31-point victory over Boston University on Monday night. The Bruins recorded two blocks and 14 steals while also forcing a whopping 28 Terrier turnovers, which ultimately granted the Bruins 36 points.

Utilizing extensive ball movement, rapid pace of play and a full-court pressure throughout the affair, it’s clear that Cronin’s defensive schematics emulated the foundations laid by Pitino more than two decades ago.

“The basic premise of my system is to fatigue your opponents with constant pressure defensively and constant movement offensively,” Pitino once said.

Despite the high-energy defensive battle against BU, Cronin’s impact on UCLA may be more distinctly seen by the players brought in through the transfer portal.

Senior guard Kobe Johnson, who transferred from USC this past summer, has garnered 16 rebounds and seven steals through just three contests this season. The Los Angeles local’s 72 single-season steals are the third most in Trojan history and complement his consecutive Pac-12 All-Defensive team honors in 2023 and 2024.

Similarly, junior forward William Kyle III, a South Dakota State transfer, was brought to Westwood after showcasing his ability to play both sides of the floor last season. The 2023 Summit League Defensive Player of the Year led the Jackrabbits, averaging 6.6 rebounds per game and placing second in average scoring with 13.1 during his sophomore campaign.

Despite his versatility, Kyle has seen just 39 minutes of action through three appearances this season – a testament to the curve that comes alongside joining a Power Five program – and specifically UCLA.

“His effort was great the other night, and I’m concerned,” Cronin said. “I want Will to play more. I see he’s fatiguing too easily, and that’s something we’re trying to work on with our strength and conditioning and training staff.”

Searching for elite playmakers on both sides of the ball is no novel philosophy for UCLA’s head honcho. Last season, when the Bruins brought in just one transfer, Cronin ensured he could work all ends of the floor.

And that he did.

The Bruins found a defensive stalwart in Lazar Stefanovic. While the senior guard boasted 1.1 steals per game last season, his defensive impact can be more evidently seen by his presence on the court. The Belgrade, Serbia, local started all 33 games last season and logged a team-leading 1,141 minutes, proving the reliance Cronin had on the former Utah transfer.

“It was our emphasis to put more pressure on them, to press and to try and get steals,” Stefanovic said. “That was our game plan for this game and, you know, we did a great job. Guys gave their 100%. It was a great effort. Everyone was diving on the floor, and we got a lot of balls like that.”

With the Bruins entering unmarked Big Ten territory, and doing so with nine new faces on the roster, it is going to take the ferocious and unrelenting defense that Cronin has instilled in every program he has touched to go the distance.

Regardless of the question marks that exist, hope remains.

“It’s going to be a process,” Clark said. “It’s a long season, but I have more than enough faith in these guys and this team that we’re going to be making some big strides.”