UCLA men’s basketball under Mick Cronin was fundamentally getting the job done from 2021 through 2023. The Bruins made a Final Four and two Sweet 16s. They played well in March. They were good but also tough. They had ballers who rose to the moment and performed under stress. Those times feel very long ago after the Bruins lost by 13 points to Iowa, 74-61.
What was good and reliable and strong about UCLA men’s hoops in past years has fallen apart.
2024
UCLA didn’t even make the NCAA Tournament, getting derailed by multiple lengthy losing streaks. The departures of the core members of the 2021-2023 nucleus were not replaced with sufficiently talented players.
2025
UCLA hit another prolonged rut in Big Ten play, losing several games in a row. The Bruins rebounded with a strong month of performances, but they crashed out of the Big Ten Tournament in a disastrous performance against Wisconsin and settled for a No. 7 seed, which is not how teams make deep runs in the NCAA Tournament.
2026 already in trouble
Now we arrive at 2026 and the first game of the new year. UCLA got punched in the mouth by Iowa. This was never going to be an easy game, but the Bruins weren’t particularly close. What else is there to say after a 22-point first half which created an 18-point halftime deficit?
Week and a half to prepare
UCLA played Riverside on December 23 and didn’t play another game until Saturday in Iowa City. The Bruins had a chance to celebrate Christmas, take a few necessary days off to heal their injuries, and start fresh. This is how they responded? It’s disgraceful.
Iowa is not even one of the four best teams in the Big Ten
Iowa is good, let’s be clear. Ben McCollum is a fantastic coach, and this game was on the road. However, Iowa is not as good as Michigan, Purdue, Nebraska, or Illinois — you could also add Michigan State. If UCLA is getting roasted by a team which isn’t even top-five in the Big Ten, what will happen against the league’s very best squads?
Ben McCollum Cronin’d Mick Cronin
Mick Cronin wants his teams to get after it on defense and throttle the opposition with physical, tenacious focus. Ben McCollum at Iowa used Cronin’s formula against him. Cronin, who pushed the right buttons from 2021-2023, is now working on a third straight season of coming up empty.
Woefully inadequate roster
Donovan Dent being a bust continues to hurt UCLA, but he was actually the Bruins’ best player against Iowa and did his part. Overall, though, it’s not just Dent who has held this team back during the season (the Iowa game being an exception). This whole roster, except for Dent, didn’t come ready to play against Iowa. This isn’t a case of one guy holding the Bruins back. The lack of sound player evaluations up and down the roster is staggering and alarming for a program with UCLA’s reputation and identity. Cronin thought this group was good enough? It’s probably not even one of the top nine teams in the 18-team Big Ten right now. The Bruins could be the No. 10 seed at the Big Ten Tournament in a few months.
Talent versus toughness
Maybe this group is talented, but Cronin isn’t getting through in terms of preaching toughness and accountability. At some point, the distinction doesn’t matter. Cronin has to bring in coachable guys who don’t need to be held by the hand. It should never get to this point.
Tuesday at Wisconsin
This upcoming game in Madison is now even bigger for UCLA and Mick Cronin. A loss would push the Bruins to 2-2 in the conference with Purdue and the Michigan schools on the schedule later on in the season. Wisconsin, like Iowa, is not a top-five team in the Big Ten. If the Bruins can’t win that one, they can’t expect to finish anywhere near the top tier of the conference.
NCAA Tournament
The Bruins are currently a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament. If they continue to lose to teams 6-10 in the Big Ten, they might get to a point where they will need to beat one of the heavyweights to feel safe about merely getting into the field of 68. This is far below the expected standard. Something has to change quickly, but again, it’s not one thing or one player. A total transformation will be necessary to lift UCLA from a ditch.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA men’s basketball is going nowhere, and Mick Cronin needs answers
Reporting by Matt Zemek, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
