Mick Cronin Speaks Out After Golden Bears Defeat

In recent weeks, Cronin has repeatedly emphasized the poor attitude within the program, and he pointed to those same issues as a major reason for this loss.

"Our team attitude was terrible, it's been a problem for a month, it affects performance," says Cronin.

A growing theme in the Bruins building has been off-court issues. In their game against Sacramento State, Cronin would sit the starters for the first few minutes of the game. Still, it seems like the message was not received, and the Bruins are still dealing with these issues.

How Cronin Describes this UCLA Team:

“So I think our team struggles to take a punch. So. I would say we got a glass jaw. If you were to describe us as a fighter,” says Cronin, referencing the Bruins’ inability to stay consistent when adversity hits.

"We're going to toughen up, or it's going to be a long year. But you can't have a glass jaw. You know, you know. But that's scary right now for us. Like, that's got me. Nervous," said Cronin.

It’s no mystery that the Bruins have struggled in games where opponents outperform expectations. That was evident against Cal, but the same pattern showed up earlier this season against Eastern Washington and Pepperdine.

Cronin Takes Accountability:

"Look, I'm not happy with our performance, but I'll take the blame. I'm not in here. You guys can read the stat sheet. You saw the game. You make your own assessments. When it comes to the game, how we play is my responsibility," said Cronin.

"They deserve to win. They came ready to play. We had some guys did not. That's on me," says, Cronin in his opening statement.

There is no doubt UCLA has a lot of cleaning up to do. Mick Cronin lays it out pretty simply: the team is not in a place right now where they can handle adversity. Something in the building needs to give, or this season might be over before March.