UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin is not happy with the play of his team at times this season. Following a recent loss to Purdue, Cronin voiced some of his frustrations. The Bruins lost to the Boilermakers 76-66 on Friday.
“Even when we were playing well and it was a close back-and-forth game and we got the lead in the second half, I was never happy with us defensively,” Cronin said, per the Los Angeles Times. “So I say this to you every time we lose–real teams, they can defend for 40 minutes.”
UCLA was able to out rebound Purdue 33-26, but that advantage on the glass couldn’t translate into enough stops. Purdue was able to get a basket each and every time it needed it in its half-court offense.
Cronin and his UCLA basketball team are now 20-9 on the season, following the loss.
UCLA basketball is fighting for a NCAA tournament spot
UCLA is a blue-blood program and used to making deep runs in the NCAA tournament. Cronin missed the last March Madness, and it wouldn’t sit well if it happened again this year.
UCLA is in a great spot for a tourney bid. The Bruins are at 20 wins overall this season, and 11 conference wins in the Big Ten. UCLA basketball is playing its first season in the Big Ten, and the travel hasn’t been easy for the team.
The Bruins are one of 11 Big Ten teams projected to be in the NCAA tournament field, per ESPN’s latest Bracketology projection. UCLA is estimated to be a no. 6 seed.
UCLA did lose a golden opportunity against Purdue to pick up another quality win. The Bruins battled hard with the Boilermakers, including a dominating performance on the glass. But Purdue basketball shot 50 percent from three point range, and ultimately was able to prevail with that hot shooting.
“It was a close game, we took a few iffy shots,” Cronin said per the Los Angeles Times, “but look, the bottom line was, we couldn’t stop them.”
The Bruins also committed 14 turnovers in the game, while shooting an ice-cold 28 percent from the perimeter. It’s hard to win while posting those types of numbers.
The squad has conference games remaining against Northwestern and USC, before the Big Ten Tournament. UCLA is one of four new teams in the Big Ten this year, along with USC, Oregon and Washington. The Bruins are doing the best of the four new clubs, as they sit in sixth place in the conference.
UCLA next plays at Northwestern on Monday.
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