WATCH: Mick Cronin Talks UCLA Preparing for Pac-12 Tournament, Bracketology

Cronin shared what the Bruins need to work on before they head to Las Vegas and eventually March Madness.

UCLA men's basketball coach Mick Cronin spoke with reporters before practice Tuesday. Cronin talked about the intricacies of preparing for the Pac-12 tournament, the importance of health, conditioning and a positive mentality at this point in the season and how he sees this team's mental state compared to last year's surprise Final Four quad.

MICK CRONIN

Prepare when you don't know who you're playing? One assistant does the scout for one team and one does another?

Correct. So, I mean, it's really easier that you think cause conference tournament, not only scouting, we've played them all already, we've also – through scouting other games – we've watched each other in our conference so much by now it's not like you're gonna – if you don't know your conference opponents by now, you're in trouble. And I'm worried about us. I think, what you're getting at, the preparation's easy, so yeah. I'm trying to think off the top of my head who does – I think Darren does Cal, I think maybe Rod or Mike, I can't remember which one does Washington State. But anyway, whoever had them during the regular season will have them again. I'm more worried about us, Tracy. So as far as what we're focused (on), we're trying to get fresh, get our legs back. We're 0-0 now, it's been a long grind for everybody, I'm not talking about us. This season's a long grind, expectations, bla bla bla. So I just want us to get our minds fresh and our legs fresh. So that's my goal for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. And build us back up, work on some things we need to work on. At this time of year, there's not a lot of live combat in practice. None yesterday, very little today, maybe a little bit tomorrow. Just trying to get our conditioning, I think conditioning is our secret weapon. More of going up and down without defense, just trying to get our cardio, our conditioning and being fresh. I'm more worried about that than our opponent.

Walkthrough Thursday morning?

Yeah. Well, what'll happen is whatever time that game is played, after that game, we'll have a film session. Both the scouts are in the bag already. As soon as that game's over, we'll have a scouting meeting and a film session, and then we'll have – Thursday morning we'll have a walkthrough.

Might be the healthiest you've been all season?

We'll see. That's today. (knocks on wood) There it is. Yeah, so we'll see. With Johnny it was the – he fell off the scooter, and then the ankle, so it's just thrown his rhythm all off. That's why I was hoping he felt good. I didn't know, I was worried he'd get out there and it wouldn't feel good and he was gonna play two minutes in the USC game. But I was just trying to get his rhythm back, because with the hip and then the ankle, in out, in out, no practicing. So just trying to get him and our team into a rhythm. It'd be nice to be able to play a few games – obviously preferably three – and try to get into a rhythm for the following week.

One thing you need to work on heading into March outside of health/conditioning?

Well I would add to conditioning and health, I'd say mentally. You can't have your team burn out mentally. I have a saying in our program, I've always had this, mental state is everything in life. You can think, we've all got issues in our own life and you can convince yourself that you're tired or you can convince yourself you're unhappy, or you can go convince yourself you've got a great opportunity, convince yourself the sun's up and it's time to be happy and seize the day. And that's a big part of it. I'd say technically, for us, it's not just one thing. I just came down from a staff meeting where we're going over that stuff, Sam. How do we execute better and get better shots, how can we get some of our shooters cleaner looks. And then defensive wise, when are we at our best – not lineup wise, that's pretty obvious – but when are we at our best as far as getting the deflections and stops. Just trying to analyze it, like I was analyzing our Arizona game last night at Arizona, just because we came back from a double-digit deficit, had it down to three and had an egregious foul off the ball by Tyger. But anyway, how did we get back in it, how did we start stopping them? So yeah, I just try to analyze everything. You can always execute. I think execution in March, Sam, to wrap it up, is huge cause you're gonna have to win close games. So the most over – I'm gonna lose my mind if I turn on the TV and hear one more announcer, Sam, say 'This is a team that can win a game in the NCAA tournament.' I can't take it anymore. Like, really? They just won their conference, I would hope that they can win a game. Anybody can win a game in the NCAA. So point being, you're gonna have to beat a good team to win one game, every game you're gonna have to beat good teams so execution becomes paramount on both ends so you gotta try and analyze that and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out we need to get Jaime the ball, right?

Most confident in this team because they showed they had the mental aspect and execution down last year?

Um, we'll see. I'll see how we handle this week. I think I believed in what happened last year that I named a horse 'Magic' because of it. We had the magic of a team that was so committed to staying alive and winning. It was so obvious to me. Not that my other teams that had been in the tournament didn't want to, but I could just tell. You watched our bench, you could just see it. It was magnetic, it drew people to be fans of ours that weren't even fans of ours. I think we gotta capture that again somehow. But as far as talent-wise, I think we have enough talent. We don't know – I don't know if anyone – to me, Gonzaga has the best talent because of Chet and Timme, because of those two guys and Nembhard at the point. I think they have the best talent of anyone going into the tournament. I think, from a talent standpoint, we have enough. The question is can we capture the magic again?

You lost early in Pac-12s last year and went to the Final Four but also Oregon State won it and got to the Elite Eight – mindset of the value of this tournament given you're already in the NCAA tournament but can improve your seed?

It’s an interesting position for teams that are top-four seeds [in NCAA tournament], maybe. If you’re not that high, you’re worried about getting on a roll and winning and playing well. It’s a very interesting position, so I’ve been there before. At Cincinnati I was there a lot where we won the regular season in the American and had to play on Sunday in the conference tournament and I thought it was a disadvantage, so you just never know. I know coach Pitino won it at Kentucky, they lost to Mississippi State [in the conference tournament], I’m well aware that Lute Olson hated conference tournaments when they started them in the Pac-12, I remember him talking about how much he hated it. Bob Knight didn’t like it, coach Wooden never had to deal with it, so it’s interesting. Obviously, you just want to play well. It’s an opportunity to try to improve while winning games. Obviously, you’d like to win but I think Illinois cut the nets down last year in the Big Ten and I know they would have traded that to be able to get out of the first weekend last year and Brad’s one of the top 10 coaches in college basketball. But that’s the problem with our game—one and out—anything can happen in one night and it all ends quickly, so there’s really no good answer but for me, if you were to say, ‘Well, give me an example,’ like if somebody was injured or questionable, I would hold them out.

Downsides of long conference tournament run fatigue and potential for injuries?

I mean, you can get injured in practice, though. Again, at least our tournament ends on Saturday. My previous stop, my last two years at Cincinnati, we cut the nets down, walked in to the locker room and watched Selection Sunday and then had to fly back to Cincinnati and turn around and fly somewhere else on a Tuesday, so at least here it’s a short flight, we’ll be home whenever it is, hopefully Saturday night.

How much can the Pac-12 tournament help you get placed in the San Diego pod?

I don’t watch much TV—isn’t there a show where you can phone a friend? I’ve got to phone my dad because I tell you this, I have no idea, none, none. I gave up years ago because I could never predict, I was always wrong, so obviously it would be great to stay in San Diego, but I don’t know what the odds are of that. I have no clue.

So when you're thinking about other careers, bracket predictor isn't one of them?

Uh, no. Look, the worst place on earth is the bubble—the stress and the pressure of the bubble. I’ve been there, it’s tough. And I talked to coach Pitino the other day, you know, my time at Murray State, my Racers made it this year—again—but coach Pitino’s got Iona and he’s got to win his conference tournament. I remember those days, like that’s brutal stress. I’ll look and see how my friends are doing, things like that, as far as the bubble. But I don’t know. I used to try and I can’t ever figure it, they say one thing and do another and use whatever to justify and look, Martin Jarmond’s in Indianapolis, he’s on the committee, so it’s his first year so I’m sure this off-season I’ll be able to pick his brain and it will be interesting to learn some things about how some of that stuff goes on, but gosh almighty, where you’re going to go, who knows?

Getting in the car tonight to see a certain game?

Somebody else will be driving. Fortunately, we have a very loyal Bruin, Bart Cleveland, that has a driver and a sprinter that I’ll be in the back of tonight sitting in traffic, I’m sure. That’s probably all I can say, headed east. Before that, at 2 o’clock, I’ll be watching the Bellarmine Knights with my friend coach Davenport in the Atlantic Sun championship.

Lunardi says guaranteed Portland or San Diego but need to leap Texas Tech to get to San Diego?

I’d like to ask you guys this, is there a chance he’s right about it?

About the geography, yes, but you're already above TTU in KenPom and NET

KenPom, you guys know that’s the only thing I look at just for our efficiency ratings. That’s good. I just told Sammi, it’s a tough time to be a dad. Next weekend is her spring musical at Campbell Hall, so she’s got a part, so I’m going to miss that so that’s sad, that’s a tough one for me. That’s really all I’ve thought about for next weekend.

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