Tag: Mick Cronin

UCLA hoops takes top spot in 247Sports power rankings

UCLA gets the top spot.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball program have worked absolute wonders in the transfer portal. They have brought in six players, as well as a commitment from former USC commit Trent Perry.

As such, the Bruins are being talked about as one of the top teams in the new-look Big Ten Conference. Isaac Trotter of 247Sports compiled a way-too-early power rankings list, and UCLA is at the top spot. Here’s what Trotter wrote about UCLA:

One bad season did a number on Mick Cronin. UCLA smashed in the portal and built one of the deepest teams in the country. There are so many good pieces on this roster. Andrews’ pull-up jumper should be deadly in Year 3. Johnson was far from the problem at USC. He could be a nasty two-way dude at UCLA. The Bruins couldn’t make a layup to save their lives last year, so they went into the portal for Bilodeau who was highly efficient around the rim. UCLA couldn’t make a jumper last year, so it went into the portal and landed Dominick Harris who shot over 40% from downtown on high volume.

UCLA’s frontcourt depth wasn’t good enough last year, so it went into the portal for Bilodeau, William Kyle III and Eric Dailey Jr. who all do something else well. Bilodeau is skilled and has soft touch. Dailey is a terrific driver who can attack long closeouts with a vengeance. Kyle has an insane wing span and should be that play-finisher UCLA’s frontcourt needed. Oh, and Brandon Williams is still around and the soon-to-be-sophomore isn’t going to give up his minutes without a fight.

Some hard conversations might be on tap because there isn’t playing time for everybody. That feels like just the way Cronin likes it. The defensive effort should be top-notch to avoid the pine.

The roster juggling is going to be something difficult for Mick Cronin and his staff to deal with, but that’s a good problem to have. Only time will tell how good this UCLA team will be for the 2024-2025 season.

The 2024-2025 UCLA team could be Mick Cronin’s deepest ever

Could this be Cronin’s deepest team ever?

UCLA Bruins coach Mick Cronin has had a lot of talented teams during his time as a head coach. The Bruins have made the Final Four and strung together some magical runs with Cronin at the helm.

Yet, after a whirlwind offseason, there is a case to be made that the 2024-2025 UCLA team could be the deepest Mick Cronin has ever had. Here’s what Jon Rothstein wrote about that:

Could this be Cronin’s deepest team ever?

It’s definitely within the realm of possibility.

The Bruins don’t have the star power that they possessed when Johnny Juzang led this program to the Final Four in 2021 or when Jaquez willed it to a two seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, but on paper, UCLA’s strength is the potential of its overwhelming depth.

The additions of six talented transfers, not to mention former USC commit Trent Perry, have the Bruins pegged as an early favorite in the new-look Big Ten Conference. If the roster gels anywhere near as good as it figures to look on paper, UCLA could be in for a massive season.

Trent Perry invites Mick Cronin-Andy Enfield comparisons at UCLA

People will compare Andy Enfield to Mick Cronin based on how Trent Perry is used at UCLA.

Former USC basketball commit and Harvard-Westlake point guard Trent Perry committed to UCLA. He signed his national letter of intent this past week. After Andy Enfield left for SMU, Perry decommitted and went to Mick Cronin at UCLA.

The four-star recruit and No. 30 overall prospect in the class of 2024 – according to 247Sports – is Cronin’s third acquisition of the recruiting cycle. Cronin also acquired former USC player Kobe Johnson in the transfer portal.

As a senior in 2023-24 at Harvard-Westlake, Perry averaged 18.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. He shot 47.2 percent from the field and 86 percent at the free throw line.

Perry, the 2024 Gatorade California Boys Basketball Player of the Year, helped lead Harvard-Westlake to the 2023 and 2024 CIF State Open Division championships and the 2024 CIF Southern Section Open Division crown. A two-time Mission League MVP, he secured McDonald’s All-America honors in 2024 and was crowned the California MaxPreps High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

The Bruins will have a high-profile backcourt with Dylan Andrews, Sebastian Mack, and Louisville transfer Skyy Clark along with Trent Perry.

USC versus UCLA should be a fun time in the Big Ten next season. Andy Enfield might be gone from USC, and he won’t coach against Mick Cronin any longer, but people will be evaluating how Cronin uses Perry, particularly at the offensive end of the floor. Enfield struggled to use Isaiah Collier effectively this past season. The standard Cronin sets will be measured against Enfield, even though Enfield is now at SMU.

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Mick Cronin reacts to Trent Perry commitment

Mick Cronin is thrilled to bring on Trent Perry.

The UCLA Bruins basketball program and its fanbase started to get excited after a crystal ball projection hinted at Trent Perry coming to Westwood.

On Wednesday, it was made official and Perry put pen to paper to become a Bruin. He originally was slated to go to USC before decommitting following Andy Enfield’s departure to SMU.

He had plenty of interest and at one point was expected to go to Virginia. Nonetheless, he is joining a loaded UCLA roster, and Mick Cronin spoke about adding Perry to the team, per the official release:

“We are thrilled that Trent Perry has chosen to become a Bruin,” Cronin said. “He has had a very successful high school career at Harvard-Westlake, where he was extremely well-coached by Dave Rebibo. Time after time, he stepped up in big moments and led his team to victory. He’ll graduate as a back-to-back California state champion and the Gatorade California Basketball Player of the Year, along with a host of other impressive individual accolades. Trent has established himself as a dynamic playmaker, and we believe that he has a very high ceiling as his game continues to develop. We’re looking forward to having him in Westwood.”

Perry is a local product from Harrvard-Westlake and a McDonald’s All-American, so there is a lot to like about this addition.

UCLA men’s hoops a 7-seed in ESPN bracketology

Bruins make the cut.

Is it ever too early to start thinking about next year’s NCAA Tournament? Well, the way-too-early top 25 rankings were released and UCLA was on it.

Now, Joe Lunardi of ESPN dropped his way-too-early 2025 bracketology, and UCLA is also on it.

In it, the Bruins were listed as a 7-seed and taking on 10-seed Wake Forest. They are placed in the same region as UConn and Gonzaga, the top two seeds in that region.

The other Big Ten teams in their region is Wisconsin and Nebraska, but a total of 12 Big Ten teams made the projected Field of 68 with two on the First Four out list.

With the transition to the Big Ten, it could be a difficult year, but UCLA has worked wonders in the transfer portal. If the roster is anywhere as good as it looks on paper, Mick Cronin should have UCLA back in the Big Dance in 2025.

Mick Cronin touches on Bronny James’ situation: ‘It’s just so different’

Mick Cronin chimes in on Bronny’s situation.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball program has been incredibly active in the transfer portal. The USC Trojans have also been active in the portal, and both LA schools should be viewed as top teams in their first year of Big Ten Conference play.

As for the Trojans, they saw Bronny James, the highly-regarded son of LeBron James, enter the portal while declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft.

It remains to be seen what type of value Bronny has, especially after a bit of a disappointing freshman year with USC. But, UCLA head coach Mick Cronin had some interesting comments earlier in April that surely look different now, especially with the Los Angeles Lakers’ season coming to an end on Monday against the Denver Nuggets.

Cronin was on SPEAK and revealed what he would tell Bronny about the future plans:

“Well I would tell any young player that in his situation he’s got to improve right. I mean he didn’t play well enough this year to show he was ready. Now you can say well he didn’t have that much opportunity because he was behind Isaiah Collier and Boogie Ellis you know so, and those are great players. And I know Bronny from his time at Sierra Canyon, you know I actually recruited his father, I was the only guy that drove through snowstorms. Huggins used to make me do that to go up to Akron. His situation’s just not like anybody else you know. So if your father’s going to have influence do you go now so you can play with your father? So it’s just so different.”

The full clip is below, and the situation about Bronny will be something to monitor for all of college basketball.

Mick Cronin compares Eric Dailey Jr. to Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Eric Dialey Jr. and Jaime Jaquez Jr.? Mick Cronin thinks so.

How good will Oklahoma State transfer Eric Dailey Jr. be?

Well, UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin apparently has high expectations for the latest big name to transfer to Westwood.

Here is what Mick Cronin said while comparing Eric Dailey Jr. to Jaime Jaquez Jr., per the official release from the UCLA website:

“Eric is a big guard, built in the Jaime Jaquez Jr. mold. He can rebound like a big, but he is a young man with guard skills in a big, strong body.”

Being compared to a player such as Jaquez, who has made himself known in his rookie year in the NBA with the Miami Heat, is definitely a good sign for Dailey.

Dailey has some big shoes to fill if Cronin is thinking of him similarly to Jaime Jaquez Jr., but the talent is there. Add in the rest of the pieces in a roster that is loaded, and there is a lot of excitement for the future of UCLA men’s basketball.

Dan Wolken lists Mick Cronin as Kentucky candidate

Mick Cronin is again linked as a candidate.

The Kentucky Wildcats have a head coach opening with John Calipari’s shocking decision to go to Arkansas. The coaching carousel has taken another wild turn, and suddenly UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin is once again an option for a high-profile job.

Cronin was already linked as a Louisville candidate before they hired Pat Kelsey. Now Dan Wolken of USA Today mentioned Cronin as a candidate, albeit an unlikely one. Here’s what Wolken wrote about the UCLA coach potentially going to Kentucky:

Despite his ties to the area as a former coach at nearby Murray State and Cincinnati, the timing probably isn’t great. Cronin is coming off a rebuilding year at UCLA and would be a tough sell to the Kentucky fan base, despite a long track record of success including a Final Four appearance in 2021.

There are plenty of names that have popped up, and Wolken isn’t the only one to mention Cronin as a candidate, either. Other names Wolken linked are Baylor’s Scott Drew, Auburn’s Bruce Pearl, and Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, among others.

Mick Cronin buyout a huge concern for Louisville

Mick Cronin’s buyout could be an issue for Louisville.

Whether or not Mick Cronin goes to Louisville remains to be seen, but Dusty May going to Michigan sure changes things for the Cardinals.

There are pros and cons of Cronin going to Louisville, but Matthew McGavic of Louisville Report mentioned one huge problem for Cronin: His buyout

First and foremost, Cronin has the largest (known) buyout out of any coaching candidate, as he’s owed a whopping $20 million if his deal is broken before Mar. 30, and $16 million before Mar. 31, 2025. However, there are rumors that his buyout could drop to zero because of a loophole in his contract. While it’s likely that Cronin would fit the bill as a coach who Heird *wants* to coach Louisville, he is also incredibly abrasive, especially with the media and especially this past season. If Cronin is hired, he better start winning quick.

It will be interesting to see what happens, but that much money for Mick Cronin would be quite a surprise.

Mick Cronin’s NCAA Tournament history, recruiting a major con for Louisville

These are the cons for Louisville and Mick Cronin.

Will Mick Cronin go to Louisville? With Dusty May and Florida Atlantic’s early exit, all signs point to May going to be the next Cardinals head coach. However, until then, Mick Cronin’s name will circulate in rumors for that job.

Matthew McGavic of Louisville Report mentioned the cons of Cronin going to the Cardinals.

As consistant as Cronin has been during the regular season, he has been remarkably underwhelming once the NCAA Tournament rolls around. Out of his 14 trips to the Big Dance between his three head coaching stops, Cronin has made it past the first weekend just five times. While he has taken UCLA that far the last three seasons before going 16-17 this year, before arriving in Westwood, Cronin hadn’t made it to the second weekend of the Big Dance since taking UC to the Sweet Sixteen in 2012. When it comes to recruiting, while he has ties to the region, he hasn’t proven to be a masterful recruiter. Out of his 18 recruiting classes between Cincy and UCLA, just three of them cracked the top 25, along with eight sub-top 50 finishes including this cycle’s class – which comes in at No. 83 with just one signee.

There are pros and cons to Cronin going to Louisville, but these cons might be more than the program wants to handle, especially after the Kenny Payne era. Only time will tell.