UCLA Basketball: Mick Cronin Reflects On Jaime Jaquez's Early NBA Success

The rookie out of UCLA is playing terrifically for the Miami Heat

When Mick Cronin took over the UCLA men's basketball head coaching job half a decade ago, he was looking for a player to embody his preferred style.

The Bruins had the reputation of a soft team under former head coach Steve Alford. A fiery Midwesterner with a passion for the game, Cronin operated with rugged, tough, physical players at Cincinnati. 

Though he signed with UCLA before Cronin got to campus, little did Cronin know that an unheralded kid from a small farming community roughly an hour north of Los Angeles would soon turn into the face of his program. Cronin spoke at length with Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports about Jaquez's early impact in the NBA.

"I’m not surprised. I tried to give him confidence [coming into the league] and I told him because he waited and he let his game evolve and get ready, he’s unlike any other rookie. He was ready to play from Day 1."

- Mick Cronin

on former player

Jaime Jaquez Jr.

When Cronin took the job, Jaquez became his 'spirit animal' -- a player who embodied all of the characteristics Cronin was looking to instill within the program. Once inserted into the starting lineup as a true freshman, UCLA became a much better team. 

The Hometown Kid pic.twitter.com/YrsOc8MNgd

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 4, 2024

By the time Jaquez graduated from school years later, he had led UCLA to a Final Four appearance and had become one of the best players in all of college basketball (despite having suffered multiple ankle injuries).

"It helped [playing all four years] just learning how to win, learning to play the right way. Something I learned under coach [Mick] Cronin is the little games within the game and what it takes to win and knowing when to make the right play and things like that. That stuff really translates when you’re coming into an organization that’s looking to win right away."

- Jaquez 

on playing for

Mick Cronin

Now in Miami with the Heat, he's flashing those same winning characteristics. He's already earned the trust of Erik Spoelstra, and as such has become a fixture in Miami's closing lineup. 

As he continues to progress, Jaquez might have already become the most successful player Cronin has personally developed to date.