Mick Cronin’s UCLA was eliminated by the No. 2 seed UConn 73-57 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The defeat marked an end to their 24-12 season.
In the press conference after the second-round exit, Cronin was asked about what’s needed to improve the program and make it a national championship contender. He bluntly said he wants $5 million more.
“Yeah, I have no… Right now I’m worried about tonight, consoling the guys,” Cronin said. “I’d like about five more million. There’s my answer.”
The Bruins were without their leading scorer, Tyler Bilodeau, who missed the game due to a right knee strain. He was also unavailable for the first-round win against the South Florida Bulls. His absence was notable since he averaged 17.6 points per game this season.
As for the game against UConn, UCLA stayed competitive and even led in the first half. However, their offense collapsed in the second half, shooting just 33%.
UCLA HC Mick Cronin Explains Reason Behind Loss to UConn
The UCLA Bruins had a fighting chance against UConn, but their second-half shooting collapse made it a lopsided game. The Bruins’ biggest star, Donovan Dent, could only score 11 points, shooting 2-9, including 1-3 from the 3-point line. Xavier Booker led the Bruins with just 13 points, suggesting that no one from UCLA was actually on top of their game.
On the other hand, UConn’s Alex Karaban dominated the game with 27 points, and he was well supported by Braylon Mullins.
“Congrats to UConn, they were better than us tonight,” Cronin said in his opening statement after the game. “Our guys gave the effort, we couldn’t score the ball. Can’t score, can’t win. They get to play next week, and we get to go home.”
Cronin also acknowledged his team’s shortcomings.
“My message to our team is: No excuses. Someone mentioned Tyler- somebody else brought up our guy. We didn’t bring it up. It’s five-on-five,” Cronin added. “Bottom line is it was five-on-five, and they played harder than us. Their defense was better than our offense, and I take responsibility for that.”
With the loss, it’s time for Cronin to put the season behind him and focus on recruiting efforts. But as he suggested, he wants money to compete.
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