Tag: Mick Cronin

Free throw shooting dooms USC in loss to UCLA

Andy Enfield-era free throw shooting problems for USC have continued into the Eric Musselman era. This was a crusher.

Any USC fan who watched the men’s basketball program during the Andy Enfield era knows the Trojans frequently struggled with free throw shooting in critical moments. On numerous occasions under Enfield, USC lost a game because it was unable to knock down free throws in crucial situations.

However, with a new head coach and an entirely revamped roster, surely the Trojans’ free throw woes would finally go away in 2024-2025, right?

As it turns out, the answer was no.

In Monday night’s Crosstown Showdown against UCLA, USC’s free throw problems of seasons past reappeared at the worst possible time. In the rivalry matchup against the Bruins, the Trojans shot just 57.9% from the line in an 82-76 home loss.

When the game was on the line late, the Trojans were at their worst. Over a seven-plus minute stretch late in the second half, USC went just 3 of 9 from the free throw line. Those six points wound up being the difference in the game.

The backbreaker came with the Trojans trailing 73-72 in the final two minutes. Saint Thomas drew a foul and went to the free throw line with a chance to tie the game or put USC ahead. However, he missed both shots, leaving the Trojans trailing by one. UCLA’s Sebastian Mack proceeded to hit a 3-pointer at the other end, which effectively served as the dagger.

For USC, it was a massive instance of what could have been. Had the Trojans shot better from the free throw line, they may have been able to pull out a massive rivalry victory. Instead, they suffered a heartbreaking loss to their crosstown foes on their home court.

USC comeback attempt falls short in Crosstown Showdown loss to UCLA

USC battled hard but was ultimately far too inconsistent against UCLA.

On Monday night, USC men’s basketball fell 82-76 to rival UCLA in the first Big Ten edition of the Crosstown Showdown.

After a back-and-forth first half, UCLA seemed to tack control of the game early in the second, going up by as much as 12. However, the Trojans did not give up, battling back and cutting the deficit to one with under two minutes left to play.

With 1:37 remaining, USC’s Saint Thomas went to the free throw line with the Trojans trailing 73-72 and a chance to give his team the lead. However, Thomas missed both shots, Sebastian Mack immediately hit a three on the other end, effectively putting the game out of reach for USC.

With the loss, the Trojans dropped to 12-8 overall and 4-5 in Big Ten play. UCLA, meanwhile, improved to 15-6 overall and 6-4 in conference.

Up next, USC welcomes No. 7 Michigan State to Galen Center on Saturday afternoon. The Trojans and Bruins will meet again on March 8 at Pauley Pavilion in the regular season finale for both teams.

Kobe Johnson returns to Galen Center wearing blue

If Kobe Johnson had gone anywhere else, it wouldn’t have been an issue, but he transferred to UCLA. Monday night should be spicy.

For three years, Kobe Johnson was a USC basketball fan favorite at Galen Center. A two-time team captain, Johnson was a strong leader and constantly remained humble. While the likes of Drew Peterson, Boogie Ellis, Isaiah Collier, and Bronny James naturally drew most of the attention, Johnson was always content to let them have the spotlight and let his play on the court speak for itself. However, this past offseason, that all changed when Johnson decided to transfer from USC to crosstown rival UCLA. In a heartbeat, he went from a player USC fans loved to one of the Trojans’ biggest villains.

When the Trojans host the Bruins at Galen Center Monday night, it will mark Johnson’s return to Galen Center. He will do so wearing a color USC fans cannot stand: UCLA light blue.

In the transfer portal era, fans are generally understanding when players decide to look elsewhere. Had Johnson transferred to just about any other school in the country, USC fans would have thanked him for his time in Cardinal and Gold and wished him the best of luck.

But even in today’s new age, rivalries remain the heartbeat of college sports. While transferring to a different school is widely viewed as normal and acceptable, switching sides in a rivalry is where most fans draw the line.

So when Johnson hears his name introduced at Galen Center Monday night, don’t expect a particularly warm welcome from the Trojan Family.

Previewing USC-UCLA hoops with UCLA Wire’s Jake Hamilton

Trojans Wire talked to UCLA wire about Monday night’s big game in the Galen Center. USC is in must-win mode.

Monday night, when USC basketball hosts UCLA, marks the first men’s basketball Crosstown Showdown of the season. It will mark the beginning of a new era in the storied rivalry. For one thing, it will be the first matchup between the schools as members of the Big Ten Conference. In addition, it will mark the introduction to the rivalry for Eric Musselman, who is in his first season as the Trojans’ head coach.

Ahead of the matchup, I spoke to UCLA Wire’s Jake Hamilton to ask him a few questions about the Bruins.

Adam: How has UCLA fared in adjusting to the Big Ten thus far?

Jake: UCLA’s first season in the Big Ten has been up and down. The Bruins have a nasty habit of playing up to their competition and playing down to it. With big wins against Oregon, Wisconsin, and Iowa, UCLA showed what they can be at their best. On the other hand, in their losses to Michigan, Nebraska, Maryland, and Rutgers, the Bruins look disjointed and, in some ways, lost. This upcoming stretch of games (Washington, USC, Oregon, and Michigan State) should be telling as to whether or not the Bruins can contend in the super-sized Big Ten.

Adam: Kobe Johnson made headlines when he transferred from USC to UCLA this offseason. What has his impact been for the Bruins thus far?

Jake: Johnson has struggled to find a rhythm thus far with the Bruins, averaging only 7.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. One of the culprits for Johnson’s minimal impact is the Bruins’ offense. UCLA has a lot of mouths to feed at the guard position between Skyy Clark, Dylan Andrews, and Sebastian Mack. The Bruins have a “committee” backcourt in many ways. In most cases, the Bruins feed the hot hand. Johnson is due for a breakout game in a UCLA uniform, perhaps against his former team. That said, the clock is ticking for the senior to make a statement on the Bruins.

Adam: Unlike in years past, UCLA’s roster is not filled with high-profile players. Who are some guys that USC fans should familiarize themselves with ahead of the game?

Jake: Sebastian Mack and Eric Dailey Jr.

When Mack gets minutes, he can score in bunches, scoring ten or more points in ten games for the Bruins this season. The sophomore guard is streaky as a scorer, something that could be huge in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. The problem? Mack, in his somewhat limited role with the Bruins this season, is a volume shooter. And when Mack can’t make good on his three-point attempts, he can become a liability on offense. However, no team in the Big Ten should want to face the Bruins on a night when Mack is hot. That’s for sure.

Dailey Jr. is a reliable two-way player for the Bruins. He is a relatively consistent scorer and can routinely score in the double digits. Shooting over 50% from the field and over 33% from three, Dailey Jr. is a solid contributor for the Bruins and is leaned on heavily when they need a bucket. Unfortunately, Dailey Jr. often finds himself in foul trouble. Dailey Jr. has fouled out twice this season and committed four fouls in five of the Bruins’ eighteen games. For Dailey Jr. to have a pronounced impact this season, he will need to be more polished and avoid unnecessary fouls.

Adam: What is your prediction for the game?

Jake: Nearly every statistic is identical between the Bruins and the Trojans thus far this season. From points per game to field goal percentage to rebounds, the two Los Angeles programs are neck and neck. That said, UCLA’s defense will be the deciding factor. Allowing only 64.7 points per game to opponents, the Bruins should manage to slow down Desmond Claude and the Trojan offense. Having dug their way out of a four-game losing streak in the Big Ten, the surging Bruins will eke out a narrow win against the Trojans, 72-67.

UCLA men put away Washington on the road for third straight win

UCLA remained tough on the road despite Washington’s comeback bid.

On the road and under the lights, the UCLA Bruins took down the Washington Huskies 65-60 to improve to 14-6 and 5-4 in the Big Ten. Winners of three straight, the Bruins have snapped back into a rhythm after a tumultuous start to the calendar year.

However, things did not look good for the Bruins early. Forward Tyler Bilodeau left the game briefly with an apparent ankle injury. As the Bruins settled in, their shooting started to heat up.

The Bruins outshot the Huskies from three (52.9% to 22.7%), creating and finishing good looks beyond the arc all night.

Double-digit scoring performances from Eric Dailey Jr., Skyy Clark, Kobe Johnson, and Aday Mara off the bench helped lift the Bruins past the Great Osobor-led Huskies. Osobor finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds.

Down the stretch, as the Huskies tried to mount a late comeback at home, the Bruins held on and finished off Washington with a late three-pointer from Dylan Andrews to bring the lead to 63-57 with 17 seconds left. That was the dagger which sealed the UCLA win after Washington pulled within three points in the final minute.

As head coach Mick Cronin and the Bruins prepare for rival USC on Monday night, all eyes will be on Bilodeau’s availability, given his impact on UCLA’s offense in the paint.

Mick Cronin stops being stubborn and gets better results

Mick Cronin finally gave Aday Mara more playing time. The fans were right. Cronin stopped being resistant to change, and it helped UCLA a lot.

Mick Cronin is a good basketball coach. There’s no question about that. You don’t win as many games as Cronin has without knowing a little bit about basketball. Yet, even good coaches have blind spots or elements of stubbornness which sometimes get in their way. One could make the argument that Cronin’s biggest mistake with UCLA basketball this season has not been playing Aday Mara enough minutes. After seeing Mara dominate in the Bruins’ win over Wisconsin, that view certainly was validated to a considerable extent.

Aday Mara is a 7-3 tall tree who can provide disruptive defense and finish over the top of smaller defenders on offense. That’s a rich two-way resource, someone who can significantly affect a game at both ends of the floor. Yet, Mara was averaging under 10 minutes played per game heading into the Wisconsin game. He was averaging under five points per contest as well.

With UCLA struggling in the month of January, plenty of Bruin fans and analysts wondered why he wasn’t getting more run. Mara’s 22-point, 5-rebound, 2-block performance against Wisconsin, in just 21 total minutes of playing time, really drives home the point that when he plays more, UCLA has more upside.

It’s unfortunate it took Mick Cronin this long to unwrap Mara and let him figure things out on the court, but at least Cronin stopped being stubborn and did this on January 21 instead of waiting until February 21 or early March.

It will be exciting to see what UCLA can become with Aday Mara playing 20 or more minutes per game on a more regular basis. Surely Cronin, having unleashed Mara, won’t put him back in a box now.

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin praises Wisconsin program after Bruins’ narrow win

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin praises Badgers’ program after Tuesday’s win

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin praised the Wisconsin basketball program following the Bruins’ 85-83 win over the Badgers on Tuesday.

Fueled by a career-best 22 points from 7-foot-3 bench center Aday Mara and 19 more points from bench guard Sebastian Mack, UCLA put a pin in the Badgers’ recent seven-game win streak. It was UCLA’s second consecutive victory, those pair of results following a recent four-game losing streak.

After the match, the longtime Cincinnati head coach offered some kind words for Wisconsin’s team and program.

“Wisconsin’s got a really good team,” Cronin told media after the win. “They roll out graduate senior [Steven] Crowl and sixth-year player [John] Tonje. I think John Blackwell was as good as any guard we’ve played against, and I knew watching it on film.”

Cronin also offered some insight into the Badgers’ structure and coaching strength. With the sport’s evolving NIL and the transfer portal landscape, Wisconsin has adjusted well to the ongoing shifts.

“I watched [Greg Gard] back with Coach [Bo] Ryan, and the way they do things, they’ve recruited guys like Blackwell that nobody knew who the hell they were for years, whether it was him or Nigel Hayes,” Cronin said. “It’ll be interesting in the portal era if they can develop players. They’re a team that has a lot of returning players and obviously Tonje was a great addition for them. They shot it well and are extremely well coached.”

Cronin also mentioned how well the Badgers stack up against some of the best in a loaded 18-team conference. In UCLA’s first season in the Big Ten, Cronin believes the Badgers are as talented as any team.

“They’re as good as anybody we’ve played or better,” Cronin said. “Size, talent coaching, veterans, point guard, big guys. They got a bench. They bring in guys like Gilmore off the bench, [Kamari] McGee. They bring in guys that are winners. I’m a big fan of their program and have been for a long time back to Coach Ryan.”

The Badgers now sit at 15-4 through 19 contests during the 2024-25 season. Their next game is slated for Jan. 26 at home against Nebraska.

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard speaks on controversial foul call in loss to UCLA

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard speaks on controversial foul call in loss to UCLA

This story was updated to correct a misspelling/typo.

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard has shared his thoughts on a controversial foul call from the final first-half minutes of the Badgers’ loss to UCLA on Tuesday. That play proved significant as Wisconsin fell 85-83 in a back-and-forth affair.

With roughly 10 seconds remaining in the opening stanza, Wisconsin guard Jack Janicki fouled UCLA bench guard Sebastian Mack in what Gard hoped would be among the last of the Badgers’ fouls to give.

Instead, referees called an intentional foul, sending Mack to the line for two free throws and an extra possession.  On the ensuing sequence, forward Tyler Bilodeau canned a two-point jumper from inside the right wing to cut Wisconsin’s edge to just five points entering the intermission.

“I’ll see what the league has to say about that, about the call,” Gard told media after the loss. “I mean, they knew what we were doing. We had fouls to give.”

https://twitter.com/MikeJMcCleary/status/188194155815045569

UCLA ultimately won the contest courtesy of stellar bench performances from Mack and Aday Mara, but the play certainly vanquished any type of momentum Wisconsin established late in the first half. Prior to the play, UW held a 41-32 lead. The Bruins outscored Wisconsin 23-10 over a 13:00-minute stretch immediately following four-point swing.

Wisconsin will look for a bounce-back performance when it returns to the court on Jan. 26 vs. Nebraska at the Kohl Center.

Second-half surge propels UCLA past Wisconsin, changes Bruins’ season

The Bruins held on for the upset at home. Their season has been stabilized after a recent four-game skid.

One week ago, the UCLA men’s basketball team appeared to be in complete disarray. Following their 85-83 upset win over No. 18 Wisconsin on Tuesday night, the UCLA Bruins are now winners of two straight in the Big Ten.

Things did not go the Bruins’ way from the jump. At the half, the Bruins trailed 41-36 in the back-and-forth matchup.

However, in front of the Pauley Pavillion crowd, the Bruins answered the call in the second half. Outscoring Wisconsin 49-42 in the final 20 minutes, UCLA returned to early-season form as it held on for the win.

Winning the turnover battle (plus-6 at 13-7) and shooting an improved 31.6% from three, the Aday Mara-led Bruins put Wisconsin away in the second half.

Mara finished with 22 points, five rebounds, and two blocks off the bench.

After suffering a four-game losing streak in the Big Ten, things looked to be coming undone for Mick Cronin and the Bruins. But after another strong showing against an AP Top 25 opponent, the Bruins look to be back on the right track.

UCLA takes on Washington on Friday, January 24, hoping to extend its Big Ten winning streak to three games.

Wisconsin game is a true test for Mick Cronin and UCLA

If UCLA can rise up and beat Wisconsin, we can say the season is back on track. The Iowa game didn’t quite prove that. This is a big one.

UCLA men’s basketball crushed Iowa on Friday night. It was a good performance for Mick Cronin’s Bruins, but let’s be honest: Iowa is not the cream of the crop in the 2025 Big Ten basketball world. Michigan State is at the top of the conference at 7-0. Illinois and Michigan are good teams. Wisconsin is also a good team, and the Badgers are coming to Westwood with ample momentum.

Wisconsin demolished USC this past Saturday in Los Angeles. The Badgers got a big lead, lost most of it, but then built it back down the stretch in a double-digit win. Badgers Wire offered more details on the 84-69 conquest against the Trojans:

Important baskets from Max Klesmit, John Blackwell and Kamari McGee were critical to a late-game surge that led to a final 15-point margin.

Blackwell was terrific throughout the contest, leading the Badgers with 28 points and five rebounds on 10-of-16 shooting. Klesmit was the other offensive star of the night — 18 points (13 in the second half), two rebounds, four assists and two steals on seven-of-14 shooting. Other notable tallies include 10 important bench points from McGee and a strong 13 points, five rebounds and three assists from Nolan Winter.

The Badgers extend their win streak to seven games with the victory, continuing to climb up the Big Ten standings.

This Wisconsin team plays good offense. It is on a roll. It has everything fitting together. If UCLA and Mick Cronin can cool off the Badgers, we can begin to talk about a Bruin basketball revival. If not, the win over Iowa will lose a considerable measure of its value.