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UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin talks to Tyler Bilodeau (34), Kobe Johnson (0), Dylan Andrews (2) and Eric Dailey Jr. (3). Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

After being called 'soft' by head coach, UCLA has responded

By Zach Wadley | Last updated Jan 31, 2025 12:09 PM ET

Being eviscerated in the postgame news conference by your own head coach is a tough way to start the new year.

That's where UCLA men's basketball players found themselves Jan. 7 as head coach Mick Cronin didn't hold back following his team's 94-75 loss to Michigan.

"Obviously, they shot the ball well," Cronin said, per ESPN. "But we're soft. We're too soft to play hard enough. Even in the [crucial moments], you can't get a rebound ... So don't tell me you want to win. Just don't tell you want to win. I mean, we're soft. To be fair, they have a unique skill set. But we're soft."

That wasn't all. Cronin said his players were "delusional," that he can't be the "toughest guy in the room every day" and that he was "upset with everybody in that locker room, my assistant coaches and my players."

Mick Cronin went OFF on his players following their loss to Michigan

“We’re soft… Every day, I have more passion and energy in practice than anybody else. I’m tired of it. It’s a joke… The truth of it is, it’s really hard to coach guys who are delusional” pic.twitter.com/abGQdPkfQN
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) January 8, 2025

The Michigan loss was UCLA's third in four games. Two more losses at Maryland and Rutgers followed, bringing the Bruins' record to 11-6 and knocking them out of the AP Top 25 poll.

UCLA has found itself, though, and Cronin's words seem to have worked. The Bruins are in the midst of a five-game winning streak, including wins over two ranked opponents, Wisconsin and Oregon, and crosstown rival USC.

UCLA has won the rebounding battle in four of the five wins, averaging 27.4 to its opponents' 24 during the stretch. It's a stark contrast to the four-game losing streak when UCLA was out-rebounded on average 32 to 27 per game.

The Bruins have also shown greater care for the basketball, dropping their turnovers per game from 12.5 during the losing streak to 7.8 during the winning streak. Couple that with an increase in steals (7.0 to 7.6) and blocks (1.8 to 4.2), and it paints a picture of a team that heard harsh criticism and responded well.

It's not just the hustle stats that have rescued UCLA from sliding out of contention. The Bruins were miserable from 3-point range during the losing streak, shooting just 21.2%. In the last five games, they've shot 40.8% from deep.

The solid play has UCLA seeded seventh in the latest bracketology by ESPN's Joe Lunardi.

Tough tests never cease in the Big Ten, and UCLA will welcome No. 7 Michigan State to Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday. A trip to No. 18 Illinois is on the docket a week later.

A month ago, that may have spelled doom, but there's nothing soft about this new version of UCLA.

Zach Wadley

Zach Wadley's sportswriting career began at the age of 12 when he started covering Little League games for his local newspaper. Since then, he's worked in the sports information field where he merged his love of writing, social media, and broadcasting. He is a graduate of Anderson University (IN).

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