Mick Cronin was not the most heated coach Monday in Las Vegas.
For the first time, possibly ever, I think he actually got beat in that department.
He was stern. He was strict. He held high expectations for his players and let them know when they weren’t up to par. But Cronin seemed calm relative to Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who routinely turned to his bench and yelled “rebound” every time the Wildcats couldn’t grab a board.
The biggest surprise of the season opener at T-Mobile Arena may not have been No. 22 UCLA men’s basketball usurping No. 5 Arizona, but Cronin’s demeanor after the win.
He seemed happy – or at least content.
The coach who has spent years critiquing his players’ mental fortitude, coachability and aptitude seemed proud. He told TNT Sports he has never had a bad day coaching this team.
Instead of reminiscing about former UCLA guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and former guards Johnny Juzang and Tyger Campbell, he praised junior guard Trent Perry and senior guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. – players actively on his team.
He let 17-year-old freshman guard/forward Nikola Kusturica see 39 minutes on the floor and sophomore transfer guard Jaylen Petty see 38.
He complimented Petty and freshman guard/forward Joe Philon III for their maturity. He commended Dailey’s and Perry’s leadership.
All of this came from the same coach who would go off just about every night about how his team failed to listen or follow the game plan or adjust or show more passion and energy than himself.
UCLA Athletics posted a video of Cronin celebrating with the team after the win – shocking.
Truth be told, I had a very different column planned before the season opener.
UCLA read like insanity before Monday night. On paper, the 2026-27 roster seemed to follow a similar formula to Cronin’s 2023-24 team – one that finished below .500 and missed the NCAA Tournament.
Both share an influx of international talent – with some athletes playing their first season in the United States – and both teams’ compositions seemed to prioritize transfers with multiple years of eligibility. These two factors lend themselves to a relatively young team in an era of basketball dominated by upperclassmen.
That inexperience and immaturity are ultimately what plagued the 2023-24 Bruins. I’d call it growing pains, but there wouldn’t be much growth, with just about the entire team jumping ship after a season or two.
But that Bruin team, headlined by forward/center Adem Bona, center Aday Mara and guard Dylan Andrews, couldn’t dream of a win like Monday’s. UCLA lost both of its contests against Arizona in 2023-24 and went 0-5 against ranked opponents.
What I failed to consider was the possibility that the Bruins may be running it back with the same team but a different Cronin.
Cronin has long had the knowledge and tools necessary to bring UCLA back to men’s basketball prominence – and with coach Cori Close and UCLA women’s basketball bringing home a program-first NCAA title last season and coach Bob Chesney off to an 8-0 start in his first season with UCLA football, the pressure is on.
Cronin’s antics have seemed to hold him back just about everywhere – and his flagrant persona has only been rubbing more and more people the wrong way in the face of three straight seasons without a Sweet Sixteen appearance.
But a Cronin with softer edges and just as high expectations isn’t just a welcome sight to see – it could be the catalyst that gets the Bruins over their recent Round of 32 hump.
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