Known for his tough teams, Mick Cronin’s UCLA Bruins have been bullied in Big Ten

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UCLA men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin yells at a player during a win over Gonzaga on Dec. 28. Cronin acknowledges that the Bruins haven’t adjusted well to the more physical Big Ten style of play. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Mick Cronin’s brand of basketball — tough, relentless, hard to score a point on — would figure to play well in a conference that values those traits.

So how’s it going for the UCLA coach and his team in their new conference?

“We’re struggling with the adjustment to Big Ten basketball,” Cronin acknowledged Thursday.

The Bruins have lost four consecutive games against conference veterans after winning two games against fellow Big Ten newcomers Washington and Oregon.

UCLA’s issues go well beyond not resembling one of Cronin’s better teams because of spotty guard play and a dip on defense. The coach said his players weren’t holding up against counterparts who embraced a more physical style.

Read more: UCLA can’t stop losing streak with poor performance at Rutgers

They’ve been pushed around, beaten up and worn down by opponents who have been far tougher in beating the Bruins (11-6 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) by an average of 13 points during their losing streak.

“Big Ten basketball is different,” Cronin said. “It’s a much more physical game.”

The Big Ten’s motto — “Dream big” — might be more like “Dream of bigs” when it comes to a team that often uses 6-foot-9 forward Tyler Bilodeau as its biggest player. Could UCLA buttress itself by using more of 7-3 center Aday Mara and 6-9 forward William Kyle III?

“We’ve tried,” Cronin said, noting Mara’s needless fouling and inability to get a rebound against Rutgers and Kyle’s lack of consistent production as reasons for their limited minutes. “It’s not how big you are. It’s how big a guy plays.”

By that measure, 6-6 forward Kobe Johnson can walk tall since he’s the team’s leading rebounder (5.7 per game) despite being its sixth-biggest player. Cronin said…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/mick-cronins-ucla-bruins-bullied-232650604.html

Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2025-01-16 23:26:00

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