Not so long ago, UCLA looked like a legitimate contender for the National Championship. Their defense was among the best in the nation, and it wasnât particularly close.
However, that doesnât seem to be the case anymore. The No. 22 Bruins lost 75-94 to No. 4 Michigan, and coach Mick Cronin went viral after throwing his players under the bus.
The renowned coach didnât mince his words about his players, ripping them and their effort in the loss and stating that they just didnât want to win the game and were âsoft.â
Mick Cronin calls his players âsoft and delusionalâ
âDonât tell me you want to win,â the coach said, angrily. âYou start the game, Tyler Bilodeau gave up 12 points. Two screens, he didnât say a word, 3s, and then he got dunked on three times. So, just donât tell me you want to win. I mean, weâre soft.â
UCLA head coach Mick Cronin looks on during a game.
The coach didnât stop there. If that wasnât enough, he also ripped his playersâ attitude and demeanor, going as far as to say that they were âdelusionalâ and full of themselves:
âI have to run on the court to get guys to play hard,â Cronin said. âItâs crazy, and itâs every day. Iâm tired of it. Iâm upset with everybody in that locker room, my assistant coaches and my players. Itâs really hard to coach people that are delusional. The hungry dog gets the bone. Weâve got guys that think theyâre way better than they are. Theyâre nice kids. Theyâre completely delusional about who they are.â
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It must have been a very awkward couple of days on campus, and those comments might not do him any favors. The Bruins are now 2-2 in conference play and 11-4 for the season, and itâll be interesting to see if they can bounce back after this.
