UCLA’s Cronin No-Nonsense Reaction to UNC Loss

UCLA coach Mick Cronin had difficulty finding a silver lining following his team's tough loss to North Carolina.

Dec 14, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin against the Arizona Wildcats in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After a painful 76-74 loss to North Carolina on Saturday night, UCLA coach Mick Cronin was direct, blunt and visibly frustrated in his postgame comments. The Bruins had led by as many as 16 points in the second half, but a late-game collapse allowed the Tar Heels to stage a furious comeback, stealing the victory in the final minutes.

The pivotal moment of the game came at the 11:45 mark when UCLA’s leading scorer, Tyler Bilodeau, picked up his fourth personal foul and was forced to exit. The Bruins' momentum shifted almost immediately, and North Carolina capitalized on UCLA's mistakes down the stretch.

“Tyler played great; obviously, I’m not going to comment on officiating -- him going out changed the game,” Cronin said. “If he doesn’t go out -- if they call that a charge or a no call, we obviously would be having a different press conference.”

Despite the frustration surrounding Bilodeau’s foul, the loss was far from just about officiating. Cronin was quick to point out the lack of execution that doomed the Bruins in the final minutes. UCLA missed crucial free throws, and they struggled with ball control when it mattered most.

When asked if he saw a silver lining in the game, Cronin was quick to respond:

“No. Zero. There’s no silver linings in losses, none,” Cronin said. “Gotta make free throws, your point guard has got to take care of the ball at the end of the game. That’s what real teams do. If that happened to Trent Perry, I’d understand -- he’s a freshman -- but you have veteran guys out there, you’ve gotta make free throws, you’ve got to take care of the ball at the end of the game.”

Cronin’s frustration wasn’t just with missed opportunities at the free-throw line or turnovers; he was also critical of defensive mistakes, particularly with fouls. With the game on the line, the Bruins committed a crucial foul, giving North Carolina an easy opportunity to seal the game at the line. 

Cronin made it clear that such a mistake was inexcusable.

“You don’t foul with the game on the line,” he said. “My teams don’t do stuff like that. I’m still fighting to get this group to where we were a couple of years ago.”

Despite the talent on his roster, including Bilodeau’s career-high 26 points and Sebastian Mack’s season-best 21 points, Cronin seemed disappointed with his team’s failure to close out the game, even as they appeared to have control for much of the night.

For Cronin, the loss wasn’t just about the defeat itself -- it was about missed opportunities, mental lapses, and uncharacteristic mistakes in crunch time. The coach, who has built a reputation for holding his teams to high standards, made it clear that UCLA’s veteran players needed to step up in those crucial moments.

The loss was a tough blow for the Bruins (10-2, 2-0), who had been looking to build on their early success, but Cronin’s reaction showed that he holds his team to the highest standard -- and that standard includes closing out games, executing fundamentals, and maintaining composure when it counts most.

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