Latest news with #MickCronin
USA Today
23-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UCLA coach Mick Cronin made it clear how strongly he hated the NCAA's chartered Allegiant flights
UCLA coach Mick Cronin made it clear how strongly he hated the NCAA's chartered Allegiant flights Over the course of a season, major basketball programs like UCLA make their own travel arrangements and charter planes that are comparably luxurious to NBA flights. That all changes in March Madness, and let's just say that Bruins head coach Mick Cronin hasn't enjoyed what the NCAA booked for his team. For the tournament, the NCAA takes care of the travel for every program. So, that means teams are forced to abandon the chartered Delta planes for low-cost carrier Allegiant. On Saturday, UCLA's season came to an end on its second-round loss to Tennessee. All that was on Cronin's mind postgame was apparently the five-hour Allegiant flight from Lexington to Los Angeles. Cronin might have sounded a bit dramatic there, but that's a long flight to be on Allegiant. And those seats were not made to accommodate basketball player-sized humans. I'd be dreading that flight too.
USA Today
23-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rick Barnes recaps Tennessee's win over UCLA basketball in NCAA Tournament second round
Rick Barnes recaps Tennessee's win over UCLA basketball in NCAA Tournament second round No. 2 seed Tennessee (29-7) will compete in its third consecutive Sweet 16. The Vols advanced to the 2025 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 after defeating No. 7 seed UCLA (23-11), 67-58, Saturday in the second round at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. Following Tennessee's victory against the Bruins, head coach Rick Barnes recapped the Vols' performance. 'Just the utmost respect for Mick Cronin and his UCLA team,' Barnes said. 'We knew coming in how hard they play and they take on his personality. We kept talking about that all day yesterday and today. Exactly the way the game started out, that's what we expected, both teams playing their hearts out, going after it. 'Really proud of our guys. I thought we stayed in there, did a better job rebounding tonight than we have in the last couple of weeks. It's something that we needed and proud of our guys for getting that done." Tennessee will face either No. 3 seed Kentucky or No. 6 seed Illinois in the Sweet 16.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
As UCLA seeks resurgence via transfer portal, Aday Mara's Bruins future is murky
Mick Cronin wasn't going to go there, at least not at first. A reporter who inquired about the UCLA coach's plans for next season was headed off like one of his guards trying to get the ball past Tennessee's press. 'Right now, guys, it's 12:40 a.m. and our season just ended,' Cronin said early Sunday inside Rupp Arena after a 67-58 loss to the Volunteers in the second round of the NCAA tournament. 'That's it. You're going to ask me about next year. Right now my biggest concern is how bad the seats are on the Allegiant flight, on that terrible plane that we're going on to fly home.' Only moments later, after another reporter asked about the importance of continuity given his success with multi-year players, Cronin gave a clear indication of his intentions with his roster. 'If you're giving me a choice,' Cronin said, 'I'll always take talent.' Translation: Expect the Bruins to be extremely active once the transfer portal opens Monday. Read more: UCLA doomed by sloppy stretches of play in season-ending loss to Tennessee Priority No. 1 will be keeping center Aday Mara, an emerging star who was noncommittal about his future after the game other than saying he intended to rest and go visit family in his native Spain. The Bruins could also use a big-time upgrade at point guard and one veteran wing player, if not two, to offset the departures of seniors Kobe Johnson and Lazar Stefanovic. Another 7-footer could come in handy, even if Mara returns, to help the team counter some of the massive front lines in the Big Ten. Regardless of the positional breakdown, it's obvious given the discrepancy on display between the Bruins and Volunteers that there needs to be an infusion of high-end players. Cronin conceded that his team's lack of name, image and likeness resources before last season forced him to scrounge from a bargain bin of European prospects, leading to what he called 'a debacle' as the Bruins finished with a losing record. A new pile of NIL cash helped Cronin land six transfers last spring, but any honest accounting of the situation would have shown that UCLA was always building for next season. A second consecutive roster overhaul by a coach whose system thrives on continuity was likely to end the way it did. The Bruins (23-11) had some shining moments to go with the expected bumps and got bounced early in the NCAA tournament. Now it's time to turn their downcast eyes toward the expected payoff. If Cronin can keep the core of his roster together and sprinkle in a few difference-makers, the Bruins should get back to being true contenders for a national championship. He'll have 15 scholarships to work with thanks to the NCAA's new roster limit starting next season. Two will almost certainly be used on guard Skyy Clark and forward Eric Dailey Jr., who both told The Times they wanted to return. 'Yeah, for sure,' Dailey said. 'I want to come here and make a run, make a name with these guys. That's my goal.' But some tough decisions will need to be made. Does Dylan Andrews, whose seasonlong struggles were one of the team's biggest limiting factors, return in a lesser role if Cronin brings in a new starting point guard? Is Trent Perry willing to come off the bench again? Will there be any playing time available for guard Eric Freeny and forwards Brandon Williams and Devin Williams (no relation) after they redshirted? A year ago, guard Jan Vide said he wanted to return only for Cronin to bring in all those transfers, leading Vide to make his own move to Loyola Marymount. It's nearly certain that a couple of players currently on the roster with remaining eligibility will depart, likely including seldom-used guard Dominick Harris. Bringing Mara back could require more than a pile of NIL cash as high as La Sagrada Familia. Cronin will need to find a way to either start Mara alongside Dailey and Tyler Bilodeau or make one of those forwards come off the bench. Mara's tantalizing upside as one of the best players in college basketball next season can't be wasted by a coach who was often the only one capable of stopping his 7-footer over the last few months with limited usage. Read more: UCLA once again living the 'we over me' mantra in NCAA tournament In an encouraging sign, Mara seemed to genuinely enjoy being on this team. He walked off the court late Saturday clapping his hands over his head while looking at the Bruins cheering section as a thank-you gesture to fans. They can only hope they get to return the favor next season. UCLA appears to have struck out with high school prospects in a loaded 2025 class, though they probably weren't going to be the immediate needle-movers the team needed anyway. Cronin has indicated he wants his rosters full of veterans, meaning he will prioritize the transfer portal over freshmen for the foreseeable future. What's it like going into an offseason when the coach has to re-recruit his own players and the players don't have any idea which teammates are coming back? 'That's the coaches' job, to see who they want for the players and that's really it,' Dailey said. 'I can't tell you who or what or when, but I can tell you whoever it is, they're going to come in and represent these jerseys well.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
23-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
As UCLA seeks resurgence via transfer portal, Aday Mara's Bruins future is murky
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mick Cronin wasn't going to go there, at least not at first. A reporter who inquired about the UCLA coach's plans for next season was headed off like one of his guards trying to get the ball past Tennessee's press. 'Right now, guys, it's 12:40 a.m. and our season just ended,' Cronin said early Sunday inside Rupp Arena after a 67-58 loss to the Volunteers in the second round of the NCAA tournament. 'That's it. You're going to ask me about next year. Right now my biggest concern is how bad the seats are on the Allegiant flight, on that terrible plane that we're going on to fly home.' Only moments later, after another reporter asked about the importance of continuity given his success with multi-year players, Cronin gave a clear indication of his intentions with his roster. 'If you're giving me a choice,' Cronin said, 'I'll always take talent.' Translation: Expect the Bruins to be extremely active once the transfer portal opens Monday. Priority No. 1 will be keeping center Aday Mara, an emerging star who was noncommittal about his future after the game other than saying he intended to rest and go visit family in his native Spain. The Bruins could also use a big-time upgrade at point guard and one veteran wing player, if not two, to offset the departures of seniors Kobe Johnson and Lazar Stefanovic. Another 7-footer could come in handy, even if Mara returns, to help the team counter some of the massive front lines in the Big Ten. Regardless of the positional breakdown, it's obvious given the discrepancy on display between the Bruins and Volunteers that there needs to be an infusion of high-end players. Cronin conceded that his team's lack of name, image and likeness resources before last season forced him to scrounge from a bargain bin of European prospects, leading to what he called 'a debacle' as the Bruins finished with a losing record. A new pile of NIL cash helped Cronin land six transfers last spring, but any honest accounting of the situation would have shown that UCLA was always building for next season. A second consecutive roster overhaul by a coach whose system thrives on continuity was likely to end the way it did. The Bruins (23-11) had some shining moments to go with the expected bumps and got bounced early in the NCAA tournament. Now it's time to turn their downcast eyes toward the expected payoff. If Cronin can keep the core of his roster together and sprinkle in a few difference-makers, the Bruins should get back to being true contenders for a national championship. He'll have 15 scholarships to work with thanks to the NCAA's new roster limit starting next season. Two will almost certainly be used on guard Skyy Clark and forward Eric Dailey Jr., who both told The Times they wanted to return. 'Yeah, for sure,' Dailey said. 'I want to come here and make a run, make a name with these guys. That's my goal.' But some tough decisions will need to be made. Does Dylan Andrews, whose seasonlong struggles were one of the team's biggest limiting factors, return in a lesser role if Cronin brings in a new starting point guard? Is Trent Perry willing to come off the bench again? Will there be any playing time available for guard Eric Freeny and forwards Brandon Williams and Devin Williams (no relation) after they redshirted? A year ago, guard Jan Vide said he wanted to return only for Cronin to bring in all those transfers, leading Vide to make his own move to Loyola Marymount. It's nearly certain that a couple of players currently on the roster with remaining eligibility will depart, likely including seldom-used guard Dominick Harris. Bringing Mara back could require more than a pile of NIL cash as high as La Sagrada Familia. Cronin will need to find a way to either start Mara alongside Dailey and Tyler Bilodeau or make one of those forwards come off the bench. Mara's tantalizing upside as one of the best players in college basketball next season can't be wasted by a coach who was often the only one capable of stopping his 7-footer over the last few months with limited usage. In an encouraging sign, Mara seemed to genuinely enjoy being on this team. He walked off the court late Saturday clapping his hands over his head while looking at the Bruins cheering section as a thank-you gesture to fans. They can only hope they get to return the favor next season. UCLA appears to have struck out with high school prospects in a loaded 2025 class, though they probably weren't going to be the immediate needle-movers the team needed anyway. Cronin has indicated he wants his rosters full of veterans, meaning he will prioritize the transfer portal over freshmen for the foreseeable future. What's it like going into an offseason when the coach has to re-recruit his own players and the players don't have any idea which teammates are coming back? 'That's the coaches' job, to see who they want for the players and that's really it,' Dailey said. 'I can't tell you who or what or when, but I can tell you whoever it is, they're going to come in and represent these jerseys well.'
Fox Sports
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 NCAA Tournament: The traits behind what makes up a 'Cinderella' team in March Madness
It's finally here. The first round of the NCAA Tournament, affectionately dubbed as "March Madness" will begin on Thursday, March 20th. The 86th annual edition of the tournament will see the usual suspects try and win the national championship. But what truly makes the tournament special is how often we see smaller schools and underdogs make incredible runs, which is what really causes the "madness." These underdogs are often called "Cinderella" teams, with fans trying to pick them out each year ahead of the tournament. But what characteristics make up a Cinderella? And are there similarities among all the past ones? FOX Sports Research dove into the data and identified several traits that comprise a Cinderella. First, we've highlighted a few notable Cinderella teams in recent memory to set up our analysis. Let's take a look: Notable runs over the past 15 years All of the teams below made it to at least the Elite Eight, and were double-digit seeds in the tournament: 2024 NC State (11 seed) It's not often you see a team go 9-11 in conference play, and then go on to make the tournament— let alone go dancing all the way to the Final Four. But that's just what the 2023-24 NC State team did, only making the field of 64 because they somehow won the ACC Tournament. For perspective, the Wolfpack were 50-1 to win the conference tourney, taking down the pre-tournament favorite Tar Heels in the final. They took down a 6-seed in Texas Tech in the opening round and went on to beat (14) Oakland, (2) Marquette, and (4) Duke before losing to (10) Purdue in the Final Four. 2022 Saint Peter's (15 seed) There might not be a more magical run than this 2022 Saint Peter's squad, which miraculously became the first 15-seed ever to make the Elite Eight. After winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament, the Peacocks opened the dance with a huge upset win over second-seeded Kentucky. John Calipari entered that game 19-1 all-time in the Round of 64. After defeating the Wildcats, Saint Peter's took down (7) Murray State and (3) Purdue before losing to (8) North Carolina. 2021 UCLA (11 seed) UCLA, a Cinderella? In the 2021 season, they absolutely were. The Bruins barely made the tournament, entering the field as a First Four participant after going 22-10 in the regular season. After beating Michigan State in overtime in that game, Mick Cronin & Co. would go on to rattle off four straight wins against (6) BYU, (14) Abilene Christian, (2) Alabama in overtime, and (1) Michigan before losing to Gonzaga on a half-court buzzer-beater by Jalen Suggs. Had that shot not gone, they would have been the first team to make the national title game after starting the tournament in the First Four. 2018 Loyola Chicago (11 seed) No one can forget the Ramblers' run in 2018. After winning the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, Porter Moser led a talented group all the way to the Final Four. In the first round, they took down (6) Miami and subsequently beat (3) Tennessee, (7) Nevada and 9 (Kansas State) before losing to (3) Michigan in the semifinals. They'd finish the season with a 32-6 record and go on to make the Sweet 16 in 2021. Loyola Chicago and Wichita State are the only Missouri Valley schools to have ever made the Final Four. The Flyers didn't even win the Atlantic 10 Tournament in 2014, but still qualified for the tournament as an 11 seed. Archie Miller would take them all the way to the Elite Eight, opening up the tournament with a victory over (6) Ohio State. In the next round, they took down (3) Syracuse in a two-point barn-burner before eventually beating (10) Stanford in the Sweet 16. They'd lose to (1) Florida by ten points, but are still just the sixth Atlantic 10 school to make the Elite Eight since 1985 (Temple, UMass, Rhode Island, Saint Joseph's, Xavier)— as well as the most recent. 2011 VCU (11 seed) Before 2024 UCLA, there was 2011 VCU. Despite losing to Old Dominion in the championship game of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, VCU made the big dance as a First Four team. This was also the first year in which the round was introduced, and VCU took advantage of it— going all the way to the Final Four after defeating (11) USC for one of the four final spots in the tournament. They'd go on to take down (6) Georgetown in the opening round, followed by (3) Purdue, (10) Florida State and (1) Kansas— before ultimately losing to (8) Butler in the semifinals. They are one of two CAA teams to make the Final Four, along with 2006 George Mason. The Dynamic Duo Cinderella's are always led by a pair of players who shift into a different gear in tournament play. From Jason Richards and Steph Curry for Davidson in 2008 to Bryce Drew and Zoran Viskovic for Valparaiso in 1998, a dynamic duo has become a common theme among teams to make a Cinderella run. Below, we've listed the duo for each of the six teams we mentioned earlier, along with their statistical averages in each respective NCAA Tournament appearance. While some of the numbers might seem low for a few players, keep in mind that all of these individuals played between four and six games— as everyone on the list made it to at least the Elite Eight. DJ Burns Jr. (2024 NC State): 16.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 63% FG PCT DJ Horne (2024 NC State): 17.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.4 APG Daryl Banks (2022 Saint Peter's): 13.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 39% 3-pt FG PCT Doug Edert (2022 Saint Peter's): 11.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 40% 3-pt FG PCT Johnny Juzang (2021 UCLA): 22.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 51 % FG PCT, 38% 3-pt FG PCT Jaime Jaquez Jr. (2021 UCLA): 15.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 45% 3-pt FG PCT Clayton Custer (2018 Loyola Chicago): 12.2 PPG, 3.2 APG, 56% FG PCT, 53% 3-pt FG PCT Cameron Krutwig (2018 Loyola Chicago): 10.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 58% FG PCT Dyshawn Pierre (2014 Dayton): 12.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, 52% FG PCT, 56% 3-pt FG PCT Devin Oliver (2014 Dayton): 10.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 43% 3-pt FG PCT Jamie Skeen (2011 VCU): 17.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 55% 3-pt FG PCT Bradford Burgess (2011 VCU): 15.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 59% 3-pt FG PCT Momentum and getting hot at the right time always plays a factor in Cinderella runs during March Madness, which is why how a team performed in its conference tournament is so important. Of the six teams mentioned above, half of them won the conference championship and four of them at least made the title game. Furthermore, since 2005— there have 19 teams to be a double-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament, not play in a major conference (Power 5, Big East) and make the Sweet 16. Of those 19 teams, a whopping 13 of them won their conference championship and that number jumps to 16 when including teams that lost in the final (2006 George Mason, 2013 La Salle, 2014 Dayton lone teams to make Sweet 16 outside of this criteria). Conference tournaments serve as a strong indicator for tournament success in general, as no team ever has lost its first conference tournament game and then won a national title— along with 14 of the past 26 national champions having won their conference tournament. What KenPom says KenPom has been a widely used and respected source for college basketball analytics, using metrics to analyze a team's performance on the court. For example, 22 of the last 23 national champions have ranked in the top 21 of KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency (AOE) metric with 20 of those 23 also ranking in the top 31 of its adjusted defensive efficiency (ADE) metric (using pre-tournament KenPom data). All of the last 23 national champions ranked in the top 25 of KenPom's adjusted efficiency margin (AEM), which factors in both metrics along with other statistical categories. Since 2001, which is also as far back as KenPom pre-tournament data goes— there have been 25 teams to make the Sweet 16 as a double-digit seed while not playing in a major conference. We looked at the KenPom numbers for those 25 teams and calculated the average rank for the aforementioned efficiencies, along with adjusted tempo (AT)— also known as pace of play. Keep in mind that between 2001 and 2025, the number of teams in Division-I has hovered between 321 and 364. Adjusted offensive efficiency rank: 63.48 in Division-I Adjusted defensive efficiency rank: 79.76 in Division-I Adjusted efficiency margin rank: 55.08 in Division-I Adjusted tempo rank: 168.16 in Division-I Possible Cinderella's in this year's tournament So now that we've gone over several criteria that make up a Cinderella, we've identified a few possible candidates in this year's tournament that fit the bill or come close to. 10 New Mexico Record: 26-7 Duo: Donovan Dent (20.6 PPG, 6.4 APG), Nelly Junior Joseph (14.0 PG, 11.2 RPG) Conference tournament finish: lost to Boise State in semifinals of Mountain West Tournament KenPom ranks: ADE: 83rd, ADE: 20th, AEM: 43rd, AT: 4th Fact to know: Dent is the only player in Division-I averaging 20 PPG and 5 APG. 11 VCU Record: 28-6 Duo: Max Shulga (15.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.0 APG), Joe Bamisile (15.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG) Conference tournament finish: won Atlantic 10 Tournament KenPom ranks: AOE: 45th, ADE: 24th, AEM: 31st, AT: 244th Fact to know: VCU's head coach is Ryan Odom, who was the head coach of UMBC in 2018 when they became the first 16 seed to win a tournament game. 11 Drake Record: 30-3 Duo: Bennett Stirtz (19.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 5.7 APG), Daniel Abreau (10.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG) Conference tournament finish: won Missouri Valley Tournament KenPom ranks: AOE: 76th, ADE: 45th, AEM: 58th, AT: 364th Fact to know: despite losing Darian DeVries (two-time MVC Coach of the Year) and Tucker DeVries (two-time MVC Player of the Year) to West Virginia last year, Drake still went 30-3 under Ben McCollum— who won MVC Coach of the Year this season. Record: 25-9 Duo: Nique Clifford (19.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 4.4 APG), Jalen Lake (11.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG) Conference tournament finish: won Mountain West Tournament KenPom ranks: AOE: 46th, ADE: 51st, AEM: 44, AT: 251st Fact to know: Clifford is the only player in the tournament averaging 19 PPG, 9 RPG, 4 APG. Record: 27-6 Duo: Javohn Garcia (12.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG), Sincere Parker (12.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG) Conference tournament finish: won Southland Tournament KenPom ranks: AOE: 63rd, ADE: 66th, AEM: 59th, AT: 283rd Fact to know: McNeese won all of the individual Southland Conference awards— Will Wade (Coach of the Year), Garcia (Player of the Year), and Christian Shumate (Defensive Player of the Year). Record: 28-6 Duo: Taelon Peter (13.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG), Kaden Metheny (13.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG) Conference tournament finish: won Conference USA Tournament KenPom ranks: AOE: 77th, ADE: 48th, AEM: 60th, AT: 285th Fact to know: Liberty is sixth in Division-I in three-point percentage, shooting 39% from beyond the arc. 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