UCLA men’s basketball eager to mount deep tournament run
PHILADELPHIA — In addition to carrying on UCLA’s legacy, which Mick Cronin says is an honor in itself, he has an added incentive here this weekend that has nothing to do with finding the best cheesesteak in town.
“We have to win two games,” said Cronin, whose Bruins open against Central Florida, whose coach, Johnny Dawkins, knows all too well from the years they faced each other when he was at Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference. “My daughter is going to the United States [University.]
“I’ll see her on Monday. But I’d like to spend a week with her.”
Indeed, the Eastern region will be held in Washington, where the AU is located. But for the Bruins to get past Sunday’s showdown against powerhouse Connecticut, Cronin says they’ll first have to contain Central Florida’s potent offense.
UCLA coach Mick Cronin talks with guard Trent Perry during the Bruins’ game at Michigan on February 14.
(Lon Horwedel/Associated Press)
“Central Florida can score,” he said of the 21-11 Knights, who made the transition from the AAC to the Big 12. “They’re athletic.
“[Themus] Fulks [averaging 14.1 points and 6.7 assists] keeps me up at night because he can enter the lane whenever he wants. He is great in pick and roll. He makes good reads and he poses problems.
“I saw Riley Kugel [14.4 points] since high school. He played for a friend of mine, so I know he’s a very good player and has gotten better as he’s gotten older.
“They can succeed. They’ve struggled lately, which means the law of averages will reverse itself. They’re an athletic, aggressive team.”
On the other hand, Dawkins, returning to the city where he played for five years and won an NBA Eastern Conference title alongside Charles Barkley, knows what he’s facing.
“Mick does a great job with his team,” said Dawkins, who, before coming to Central Florida, coached 156-115 for eight years at Stanford, following a decade as an assistant to Mike Krzyzewski at his alma mater, Duke. “Of course. UCLA is a legendary college basketball program.
“What an incredible story they had there. And, of course, Coach Cronin is a coach I knew from the Americans as well. I know his team is going to be really, really talented.
“They are very competent and tough.”
Speaking of that legacy, which includes a Final Four appearance in 1976 under John Wooden’s replacement, Gene Bartow, Cronin’s players knew what they were signing up for when they decided to come to Westwood.
“It’s definitely a blessing to be a part of this, to be a part of the history, the tradition,” said senior guard Skyy Clark, who averages 11.7 points per game. “It’s definitely a lot to carry, but it motivates us to go out there and do what we can.”
UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau is congratulated by fans after defeating USC at the Galen Center on March 7.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
“Yeah, a lot of things come with those four letters that we wear on our chest,” added second-leading scorer and leading playmaker Donovan Dent (13.5, 7.6 assists). “We just want to get our name and history out there.
“I wouldn’t say there’s added pressure, but we know there’s definitely a standard that has to be met.”
UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau and Dent were injured during the Bruins’ Big Ten tournament run, but Cronin said Thursday “they looked good today.” [during practice,] so touch wood. »
It was maintaining the standard set by Wooden that lured Cronin from Cincinnati, where he won 296 games in 13 years and took them to the NCAA Tournament nine times.
“I did a great job and was on my way to being the winningest coach ever in Cincinnati,” said Cronin, who will be making his fourth tournament appearance with the Bruins, including losing a 2022 Sweet Sixteen game to North Carolina in this building. “But I’m off to sit in Coach Wooden’s chair and coach at the best university in the country, arguably the world, and everything that goes with that.
“It’s great. I’ve been very fortunate. To coach at my alma mater, Cincinnati, and to be the head basketball coach at UCLA, after so many others.”
On Friday night, Cronin and the Bruins will take on the challenge of Central Florida and longtime opponent Dawkins, knowing there are no freebies once you get this far. No. 5 seed Wisconsin learned that in a loss to No. 12 High Point on Thursday, Duke almost did it, having to rally from 13 down to survive No. 16 Siena.
“You have to have players,” he said. “If you can’t coach, you won’t play these tournaments. “The more good players you have, the further you go.
That’s the whole key to getting into these things and progressing through them. Perseverance.”
