Seemed to me, Tyler was aggressive in trying to deflect entry passes which earned him a foul if memory serves but also some denials and Nembhardt kept the ball more often as he was feeling it rather than feeding him as often off the pick and roll... I'd be interested in Army's perspective in person on it...
Didn't think that you did or were 🙂 he did what he could against Ike and contributed some beyond his offense on a day when he only scored 7 and shot the ball badly overall, rather than hanging his head because his offense was off... and, that said, we beat a Q1 top 4-seed on a day when Tyler scored 7 points! Thank goodness for ED and his toughness and poise - might not be a coincidence that the 2nd half vs NoCar happened with him unable to play - lots of leadership by example and effort there
Tyler Bilodeau was a stud on D down the stretch, despite being physically outmatched. Ike only had 1 offensive rebound in the entire game. That's from Bilo blocking out. Sometimes it's not about getting the rebound, but about keeping your man from getting it. Defensive rebounding is a team effort. Everyone blocks out, your team gets the rebound. UCLA outrebounded the Zags yesterday. That's a big deal as oftentimes an offensive rebound results in a quick pass back out for an open 3.
I know that a lot of iso and occasional pass around to little purpose offensive sets are part of "Croninball" but man, toughness - physical and mental - sure is too. And on a day when playing a quality opponent and starting the first half of the first half shooting 12.5% toughness matters. Now, about those free-throws...
Great win over a nemesis and another win over a Q1 lock - could be worth a seed line or regional location when the time comes...
Nope, not at all. Still plenty of flaws with the offense in this game but could not he happier for the win and the players. It was a great game and I feel very lucky to be a part of the Bruin Fam.
My love for UCLA transcends any coach. UCLA is far bigger than any one person and my love affair began the very first time I stepped on campus before being accepted.
When I lived in Cali, I never missed a game. I never cared for Harrick but I was at the Final 4 with my mom at the Kingdome when we won the Championship.
I love our team, regardless of who is the coach. Some people love Cronin and think he's great. But many see his weaknesses and those flaws have cost us games.
Seemed to me that UCLA, particularly Bilodeau and Andrews, missed open shots that would have made the game not close. Not a Cronin flaw, just players missing open shots they did not make. Not Cronin to blame.
That's fair but even Tracy Murray commented on the poor offensive schemes that Cronin runs. We do not have a fluid great offense and we could have easily lost this game.
Against UNC we blew a 16 pt lead and Cronin is famous for these offensive meltdowns. He is not an offensive minded coach and offense takes a seat at the back of the bus. He even joked that if his Cincy team didn't blow a 22 pt lead that Cincy would have offered him a huge contract and he wouldn't be at UCLA - that's really comforting.
He's won 70% of his games at UCLA, and 75% of his conference games. Since the late 1980s, only Jim Harrick was better. I wasn't around for the Golden Years under Wooden, so Harrick, Howland, and Cronin are my favorites. Lavin and Alford were below par.
And, for the most part, that was a great defensive gameplan executed really well with the exception of about 4 minutes in the 2nd half where they sped up the pace - but good adjustments out of the timeout to bring it back down
There's a lot of overlap between the Cronin critics and those who prefer run and gun offense to hard nosed defense first. And both camps LIVID. Yesterday was a classic Cronin win.
UCLA has had more success in the last 18 years with hard nose defense first. 4 Final Fours vs flaming out in the Sweet Sixteen 3 times with our run and gun coach. (Alford)
This team is talented enough to win B10 and make the FF. The question is whether we’ll come out with focus each game and uncontrollables like injuries and refereeing.
I only watched the last 10 mins of the 2nd half of this game but seems to me if these refs were at the unc game, we win that game comfortably. Same strange calls here and there but nothing egregious and pretty even for both sides.
Also Dylan Andrews is lost. Perhaps he can find a spark playing from the bench. Some players do…
Dylan Andrews is a great kid and I feel sad for him. But you are correct, he is lost. We need a talented point guard who is a real
leader if we are to make it to the FF...
Perry has the natural ability but needs experience. I do like Skyy more and more - he has really dedicated himself to developing into a great player. Mack needs to stay focused and hit his damn free throws, but I love his toughness.
The Bruins had a roster composed of an incompatible mix of transfers, non-starters, Euros, and inexperienced freshmen that didn't work out last season. What a difference NIL makes.
Similarly, during Cronin Year-2 (pre-NIL), the Bruins had talented players that underperformed for the previous HC and they surprisingly went from First Four to Final Four during March Madness. UCLA appears to be a highly competitive and tough team to beat once again, thanks to Coach Cronin.
Defensively this team spends so much energy closing down, getting deflections, fighting for rebounds, and working their socks off. I think that has a lot to do with the offensive challenges we have seen at some points. I think a guy like Nembhardt is what UCLA needs at the point guard position. An elite natural point guard who can get his whenever he needs to. As for coaching, I understand CMC has had some lapses, but I personally don’t fault him for last week’s lost. Could he had done better, of course, but it’s tough when the refs are literally playing out for the opposite team.
I do think that he can control helping them become a better free throw shooting team. I think that issue is something he can address. Also, I liked Mara first half cameo, he altered a lot of Gonzaga’s play in the paint. I know he missed some shots, maybe shots that he was expected to make, however; I didn’t understand why he pulled him out. When Mara came out Gonzaga got back in the game, before the first half was over.
Overall, I have faith in Cronin, I don’t know if it’s me but I have noticed some folks sound unhappy with him over the course of last season (understandably) and this season (not understandably IMO) as this team has played much better. I think the NM game was terrible, but last week against NC, this team did everything to win and should have won if they score a few free throws and the refs weren’t so one sided. Did UCLA go cold for the last three minutes, yes… but I watch basketball often and I noticed even the pro’s specially in this era of “shot from anywhere” teams go hot and cold. The difference I think is UCLA defensively is an elite team and that will allow them to grind some wins off.
I agree, we're missing a Tyger Campbell at point guard (and a dominating center like Adem Bona). Hopefully as the season progresses, Mara will eventually get some more playing time instead of being limited to short cameo appearances. And if the NM game hadn't been scheduled so early in the season and the Bruins didn't fall apart against NC, the Bruins would probably still be undefeated like the women's team. Not too shabby for any HC, I would think.
The victory over the Zags was sooo long overdue! Glad that Coach Cronin was finally able to break his extended losing streak against them, and it was also nice to see the other side fall apart at the end for a change. Maybe we'll see yet another Zags rematch during March Madness with an opportunity for tournament redemption for the Bruins.
Not a big fan of Coach Cronin's offense (or lack thereof), but his team's toughness and elite defense often enables them to hold off opponents if they have a lead, or to stay within striking distance when they experience scoring droughts. It's really unfortunate that sufficient NIL funds weren't available for Coach Cronin last year, as the Bruins could've surrounded Adem Bona with players like the ones on the current roster. This team now has a lot more talent and depth compared to last season. Anyway, hope they can individually address each of their inconsistencies and weaknesses (shooting, rebounding, making FTs, etc.) and show further improvement during conference play.
Same to you, Ms. Tamara! And a little champagne and a dose of hopium on New Year's Eve will ilicit visions of a memorable championship run for both the UCLA men's and women's basketball programs.
The fit tmr in the car driving to New York to visit family:
Top layer, Blue Tyger Jersey
Middle layer, Black Tyger Sweatshirt
Bottom Layer, Grey Tyger long sleeve shirt
As you can see I really don’t like Tyger Campbell 😂
What happened to Ike in the second half? He disappeared!
Seemed to me, Tyler was aggressive in trying to deflect entry passes which earned him a foul if memory serves but also some denials and Nembhardt kept the ball more often as he was feeling it rather than feeding him as often off the pick and roll... I'd be interested in Army's perspective in person on it...
I know I've focussed on the stats and meant not to denigrate Tyler's play. There are too many moving parts in a game to focus on an individual.
Didn't think that you did or were 🙂 he did what he could against Ike and contributed some beyond his offense on a day when he only scored 7 and shot the ball badly overall, rather than hanging his head because his offense was off... and, that said, we beat a Q1 top 4-seed on a day when Tyler scored 7 points! Thank goodness for ED and his toughness and poise - might not be a coincidence that the 2nd half vs NoCar happened with him unable to play - lots of leadership by example and effort there
Tyler Bilodeau was a stud on D down the stretch, despite being physically outmatched. Ike only had 1 offensive rebound in the entire game. That's from Bilo blocking out. Sometimes it's not about getting the rebound, but about keeping your man from getting it. Defensive rebounding is a team effort. Everyone blocks out, your team gets the rebound. UCLA outrebounded the Zags yesterday. That's a big deal as oftentimes an offensive rebound results in a quick pass back out for an open 3.
Thanks Army - appreciate the perspective
Bilodeau didn't let his missed shots affect his defense. I liked seeing his effort.
Mick Cronin's classic UCLA defense...that's what happened.
The Cronin critics are pissed. 🤣
I know that a lot of iso and occasional pass around to little purpose offensive sets are part of "Croninball" but man, toughness - physical and mental - sure is too. And on a day when playing a quality opponent and starting the first half of the first half shooting 12.5% toughness matters. Now, about those free-throws...
Great win over a nemesis and another win over a Q1 lock - could be worth a seed line or regional location when the time comes...
Nope, not at all. Still plenty of flaws with the offense in this game but could not he happier for the win and the players. It was a great game and I feel very lucky to be a part of the Bruin Fam.
My love for UCLA transcends any coach. UCLA is far bigger than any one person and my love affair began the very first time I stepped on campus before being accepted.
When I lived in Cali, I never missed a game. I never cared for Harrick but I was at the Final 4 with my mom at the Kingdome when we won the Championship.
I love our team, regardless of who is the coach. Some people love Cronin and think he's great. But many see his weaknesses and those flaws have cost us games.
Seemed to me that UCLA, particularly Bilodeau and Andrews, missed open shots that would have made the game not close. Not a Cronin flaw, just players missing open shots they did not make. Not Cronin to blame.
That's fair but even Tracy Murray commented on the poor offensive schemes that Cronin runs. We do not have a fluid great offense and we could have easily lost this game.
Against UNC we blew a 16 pt lead and Cronin is famous for these offensive meltdowns. He is not an offensive minded coach and offense takes a seat at the back of the bus. He even joked that if his Cincy team didn't blow a 22 pt lead that Cincy would have offered him a huge contract and he wouldn't be at UCLA - that's really comforting.
I said it last week and I'll say it again......the missed FTs were the reason UCLA lost to UNC. That's on the players. Cronin didn't blow the lead.
it's true how Cronin coaches them to an 11-2 record and some just want to focus on the 2 losses and blame him.
Agree, UCLA4EVER, it is on the players, but they pulled through.
True. Also not Cronin's fault that the players choked at the FT line against UNC.
He's won 70% of his games at UCLA, and 75% of his conference games. Since the late 1980s, only Jim Harrick was better. I wasn't around for the Golden Years under Wooden, so Harrick, Howland, and Cronin are my favorites. Lavin and Alford were below par.
And, for the most part, that was a great defensive gameplan executed really well with the exception of about 4 minutes in the 2nd half where they sped up the pace - but good adjustments out of the timeout to bring it back down
There's a lot of overlap between the Cronin critics and those who prefer run and gun offense to hard nosed defense first. And both camps LIVID. Yesterday was a classic Cronin win.
UCLA has had more success in the last 18 years with hard nose defense first. 4 Final Fours vs flaming out in the Sweet Sixteen 3 times with our run and gun coach. (Alford)
I liked Mara’s defensive presence in the 2nd half. I thought our defense went down a notch when they took him out toward the end of the game.
💯 there are probably going to be matchups where we need to live with his limitations offensively to get his benefits defensively going forward
This team is talented enough to win B10 and make the FF. The question is whether we’ll come out with focus each game and uncontrollables like injuries and refereeing.
I only watched the last 10 mins of the 2nd half of this game but seems to me if these refs were at the unc game, we win that game comfortably. Same strange calls here and there but nothing egregious and pretty even for both sides.
Also Dylan Andrews is lost. Perhaps he can find a spark playing from the bench. Some players do…
Dylan Andrews is a great kid and I feel sad for him. But you are correct, he is lost. We need a talented point guard who is a real
leader if we are to make it to the FF...
Perry has the natural ability but needs experience. I do like Skyy more and more - he has really dedicated himself to developing into a great player. Mack needs to stay focused and hit his damn free throws, but I love his toughness.
We can all have our criticisms, but I'm just bathing in the fact that its soooooo much better than last year.
Amen.
The Bruins had a roster composed of an incompatible mix of transfers, non-starters, Euros, and inexperienced freshmen that didn't work out last season. What a difference NIL makes.
Similarly, during Cronin Year-2 (pre-NIL), the Bruins had talented players that underperformed for the previous HC and they surprisingly went from First Four to Final Four during March Madness. UCLA appears to be a highly competitive and tough team to beat once again, thanks to Coach Cronin.
Defensively this team spends so much energy closing down, getting deflections, fighting for rebounds, and working their socks off. I think that has a lot to do with the offensive challenges we have seen at some points. I think a guy like Nembhardt is what UCLA needs at the point guard position. An elite natural point guard who can get his whenever he needs to. As for coaching, I understand CMC has had some lapses, but I personally don’t fault him for last week’s lost. Could he had done better, of course, but it’s tough when the refs are literally playing out for the opposite team.
I do think that he can control helping them become a better free throw shooting team. I think that issue is something he can address. Also, I liked Mara first half cameo, he altered a lot of Gonzaga’s play in the paint. I know he missed some shots, maybe shots that he was expected to make, however; I didn’t understand why he pulled him out. When Mara came out Gonzaga got back in the game, before the first half was over.
Overall, I have faith in Cronin, I don’t know if it’s me but I have noticed some folks sound unhappy with him over the course of last season (understandably) and this season (not understandably IMO) as this team has played much better. I think the NM game was terrible, but last week against NC, this team did everything to win and should have won if they score a few free throws and the refs weren’t so one sided. Did UCLA go cold for the last three minutes, yes… but I watch basketball often and I noticed even the pro’s specially in this era of “shot from anywhere” teams go hot and cold. The difference I think is UCLA defensively is an elite team and that will allow them to grind some wins off.
I agree, we're missing a Tyger Campbell at point guard (and a dominating center like Adem Bona). Hopefully as the season progresses, Mara will eventually get some more playing time instead of being limited to short cameo appearances. And if the NM game hadn't been scheduled so early in the season and the Bruins didn't fall apart against NC, the Bruins would probably still be undefeated like the women's team. Not too shabby for any HC, I would think.
Complaining about a coach who is 11-2 this year makes no sense to me. But the critics have their perogative.
it's a pedestrian view of basketball. they want the flashy style that the one and dones bring. think it's more "entertaining." lol.
The victory over the Zags was sooo long overdue! Glad that Coach Cronin was finally able to break his extended losing streak against them, and it was also nice to see the other side fall apart at the end for a change. Maybe we'll see yet another Zags rematch during March Madness with an opportunity for tournament redemption for the Bruins.
Not a big fan of Coach Cronin's offense (or lack thereof), but his team's toughness and elite defense often enables them to hold off opponents if they have a lead, or to stay within striking distance when they experience scoring droughts. It's really unfortunate that sufficient NIL funds weren't available for Coach Cronin last year, as the Bruins could've surrounded Adem Bona with players like the ones on the current roster. This team now has a lot more talent and depth compared to last season. Anyway, hope they can individually address each of their inconsistencies and weaknesses (shooting, rebounding, making FTs, etc.) and show further improvement during conference play.
Happy New Year and Go Bruins!
Happy New Year W4! You are spot on in everything you said. Wishing you all of life's best in 2025 💙💛
Same to you, Ms. Tamara! And a little champagne and a dose of hopium on New Year's Eve will ilicit visions of a memorable championship run for both the UCLA men's and women's basketball programs.
Cheers and Go Bruins!
💙💛