Tag: Mick Cronin

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin discusses play at Pauley Pavilion

Mick Cronin chimes in on Pauley Pavilion games.

UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin feels he has the job he has always wanted. Cronin, as the head coach of the UCLA Bruins feels right at home coaching at Pauley Pavilion.

Cronin sat down with the Big Ten Network and talked about new teams coming to Pauley Pavilion, and how blessed he was to coach at the Bruins home location.

The head coach had this to say about Pauley Pavilion:

“Well, it’s a special place. I purposely begged UCLA to schedule Cincinnati back in the day to coach one game at Pauley. I never dreamed I would coach every game at Pauley.”

The Bruins struggled last season, but in the two previous seasons, UCLA went 58-14 under Cronin and went to the NCAA Regional Semifinal in both seasons. During those seasons, the Bruins were one of the best home teams in college basketball

You can hear the entire snippet with Cronin on the home-court advantage here:

Mick Cronin chimes in on UCLA-Gonzaga clash

Mick Cronin loves the Gonzaga showdown.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team has finalized an agreement to face the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The two teams who met in the Final Four will now play each other in what should be a must-watch showdown whenever they play.

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin released a statement after the news was announced:

“We’re excited to take on Gonzaga in the first-ever college basketball game at Intuit Dome. This is a great opportunity for our young men to play under the bright lights in a brand-new venue down the road in Inglewood. I know that the Clippers’ organization is looking forward to moving into this new arena, and we are very grateful to partner with Gonzaga for the opportunity to play there. With shifting landscapes and conferences in college basketball, I really believe it’s important for us to preserve some of these strong West Coast matchups. UCLA versus Gonzaga is a win-win for our sport, and we want our Bruin fans to pack Intuit Dome for what should be an exciting game.”

It should be a thrilling showdown between two top teams in the 2024-2025 season, and Cronin knows the importance of the matchup.

UCLA celebrates Mick Cronin’s birthday

Happy birthday to Mick Cronin.

Mick Cronin, the leader of UCLA Bruins Men’s Basketball celebrated a birthday this week. Cronin, who is in his sixth season as the head man at UCLA turned 53 years old.

The former head coach at Murray State and Cincinnati has gone 115-53 with the Bruins since taking over in Westwood. A season ago, the Bruins struggled and went 16-17. The Bruins also went 10-10 in their final season as members of the Pac-12.

In 2022-2023, the Bruins went to the Sweet 16 for the second straight season. During those two years, UCLA went 58-14, which includes 33-7 conference record.

The Bruins had a summer workout on the morning of his birthday (Wednesday). The team gave him a little shout-out on his big day as the workout came to an end:

The Bruins regular season schedule has yet to be released yet. UCLA will play 20 games in the Big Ten, which will be their first season. The Bruins know they will face former rivals USC, Oregon and Washington twice.

UCLA one of several programs to contact Team USA U17 star

UCLA is trying for another big hoops commit.

One of the Bruins‘ top targets received some recognition from several schools following his performance in the FIBA U17 World Cup.

Brandon McCoy Jr., a five-star point guard from Bellflower, California, recently was one of twelve high school basketball players to compete for the United States.

In the title game, in which the United States dominated Italy 88-129, McCoy Jr. scored 13 points on 6/13 shooting, two rebounds, and four assists.

After winning the gold, a whopping eleven teams reached out to McCoy Jr., including the Bruins. Among the teams that contacted him were Arkansas, Duke, Texas, Houston, Baylor, Michigan, California, Kentucky, and rival USC.

As the number two-ranked player in the nation in the class of 2026 according to 247Sports, it is no wonder that McCoy Jr. has a lot of interested programs reaching out. But with the Bruins being close to home with championship pedigree, UCLA likely has a strong pitch for McCoy Jr. in what would be a potentially program-changing commitment if Mick Cronin can land him.

Mick Cronin releases statement after Adem Bona gets selected by 76ers

Mick Cronin wishes Bona the best.

UCLA Bruins big man Adem Bona is officially joining the Philadelphia 76ers. He was selected No. 41 overall in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft.

UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin released a statement after Bona found out his new NBA home:

โ€œWe are all thrilled to see Adem selected, as he has worked very hard for this moment. The 76ers are getting a talented, hard-working & driven young man who will be an asset to their organization. All of us at UCLA loved being around Adem every day. He is a humble & caring person, & I truly believe he has only scratched the surface in terms of his basketball potential & development. We look forward to watching him thrive in Philadelphia, & we will be cheering for him every step of the way.โ€

After a stellar run in Westwood, it will be interesting to watch Adem Bona in the Summer League as he hopes to crack a spot on the opening day roster.

UCLA football offers five-star and dual-sport offensive tackle

This is a big one.

UCLA football made an offer to an offensive tackle this week. Georgetown Preparatory School offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho is a five-star recruit on the offensive line and on the hardwood.

At 6′ 7″ and 340 pounds, Iheanacho is a massive left tackle. Recruited by some of the best schools in college football, including Alabama, Michigan, Texas, and Ohio State, the Bruins have some stiff competition to land Iheanacho.

The first-ranked tackle and third-overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, Iheanacho will see countless other offers extended to him before he graduates. Iheanacho’s 2026 graduation date puts more pressure on the Bruins to show out in the first two seasons under new head coach DeShaun Foster.

Though UCLA may currently be towards the bottom of his list, the program’s upside and new-found energy under Foster could be a selling point. Moreover, with the Bruins looking to build a high-powered offense following several big commitments, UCLA could be a darkhorse to entice the top-rated tackle.

Andy Katz has UCLA in top 20 of his latest power rankings

More love for UCLA this upcoming season.

Things look much different after some big names withdrew from the NBA Draft and decided to come back to college. For the UCLA Bruins, nothing changed on that front as Adem Bona stayed in the NBA Draft.

The Bruins have landed a ton of talent in the portal and brought in Trent Perry in a massive commitment. College basketball insider Andy Katz compiled his top 36 power rankings and had UCLA listed at No. 18.

The Bruins didnโ€™t hesitate to dive deep in the transfer portal and the additions of Kobe Johnson, Skyy Clark, Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey should put Mick Croninโ€™s crew back in play.

Purdue and Ohio State are ahead of UCLA in these rankings, although UCLA was in the top spot in the Big Ten power rankings by 247Sports.

The talent Mick Cronin has brought in is a terrific haul, but questions remain on whether or not the players will gel together well.

UCLA hoops lands at 16 in 247Sports latest rankings

UCLA at 16.

Once again, the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team is getting some top-25 consideration. It has been a recurring theme, and Mick Cronin’s unreal transfer portal haul has surely made the Bruins one of the most dangerous teams in the country for the 2024-2025 season.

Isaac Trotter of 247Sports recently ranked the Bruins as the top team in the Big Ten power rankings. Now, Trotter ranked the top 25 teams in the country following the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline, and he has UCLA at No. 16.

UCLA is one spot ahead of Big Ten rival Indiana and one spot behind Kentucky with Mark Pope as the new head coach.

The top five teams in order are Kansas, Houston, Auburn, Alabama, and Gonzaga.

Nonetheless, the Bruins in the top 25 is a terrific sign going forward, especially after missing the NCAA Tournament this past season and disappointing in the final season in the Pac-12 Conference.

UCLA basketball hires Dave Andrews as director of athletic performance

A new face coming in.

UCLA basketball has been busy this off-season. In addition to a number of key commitments and transfer adds, the Bruins named a new director of athletic performance.

In an interesting move, the Bruins add Dave Andrews, who most recently served as the Iowa State football director of strength and conditioning for the last three seasons. Andrews, who also made stops at Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Iowa State, Notre Dame, and Illinois, adds experience and leadership to a Bruins team that has big aspirations this upcoming season.

Bruins’ head coach Mick Cronin said on the hiring of Andrews, “Dave is talented and committed, and his passion for the student-athletes is second to none. Player development has been the backbone of our program, as we believe in providing the best for our players at UCLA.”

With the talent that the Bruins have added for 2024, getting bigger, faster, and stronger will only improve the product on the court as UCLA vies for banner twelve.

Mick Cronin reacts to Bill Walton’s passing

Mick Cronin’s statement on Walton’s passing.

The world lost an absolute treasure. On Memorial Day, the news came that UCLA legend Bill Walton passed away after a long battle with cancer.

Walton’s passing left a mark for many in the sports world, with his memorable moments as both a player and a broadcaster circulating across the internet.ย 

UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin had plenty of things to say regarding Walton after the news came out:

“On behalf of everyone with the UCLA men’s basketball program, we are deeply saddened to learn of Bill Walton’s passing. My deepest condolences go out to his family and loved ones. It’s very hard to put into words what he has meant to UCLA’s program, as well as his tremendous impact on college basketball. Beyond Bill’s remarkable accomplishments as a player, it’s his relentless energy, enthusiasm for the game and unwavering candor that have been the hallmarks of his larger than life personality. As a passionate UCLA alumnus and broadcaster, he loved being around our players, hearing their stories, and sharing his wisdom and advice. For me as a coach, he was honest, kind, and always had his heart in the right place. I will miss him very much. It’s hard to imagine a season in Pauley Pavilion without him. Our athletics department, our team and this university will miss him dearly.”

It will be a tough loss for everybody, especially those at UCLA, Walton’s alma mater.