Nice write up, Dmitri. The kids played with energy from the opening tip. If they continue down this road, there will be growth. It’s unlikely to be linear and will likely have some head scratching defeats and the claims that Mick Cronin isn’t a good coach will return. They come out after any loss like worms after a rainstorm.
Nice write up, Dmitri. The kids played with energy from the opening tip. If they continue down this road, there will be growth. It’s unlikely to be linear and will likely have some head scratching defeats and the claims that Mick Cronin isn’t a good coach will return. They come out after any loss like worms after a rainstorm.
Ahhh the nastiness continues... Worms huh? Perhaps there are those who do not agree with Cronin's conduct which these days appears to be all over the place from screaming at and demeaning his players in public to moments of taking at least some responsibility for the results this season.
Yes the players did play with energy and yes there could still be growth. But Mick was a big reason the confidence on this team was so low. Mick has shown an ugly side of himself that may have always been there but less noticeable given the teams he had the last few years.
Mick is not a great offensive mind which has cost us games in seasons past. His realm is defense which is fine but he has shown deficits in leadership. We will see how this season transpires.
I think there’s a lot more to Mick and his relationships with his players than the public knows, including me. We haven’t seen any mass exodus of players from the program as one would expect if things were out of control. It’s never been easier to leave a program than it is right now. Offensively, his teams have been efficient until this year if you use kenpom.com as a source. One could complain about tempo or lack thereof, as many of us prefer a faster pace, including me. However, his record speaks for itself.
All fair points Army. It will be interesting to see how this season shakes out and I will be there cheering for this team every game. I have been a die hard Bruin since my KKG sorority days as an undergrad and I was fortunate to get my master's from the school I love so much. I used to be the one with pom poms and bruin bears nearly covering up my back windshield 🤣 I only want the best for our players and hope this team can continue in a positive direction.
Tamara, you are here win or lose. There are certain people that only show up after a loss to complain. I saw the very first championship team as a kid and remember seeing Kareem as a freshman. I always dreamed of playing at UCLA, but was just an above average high school player and playing at UCLA was more pipe dream. I would not have wanted to play for Mick Cronin. That being said, I think the players he will attract have a pretty good idea what to expect. This is an unusual year with 7 new players. 3-4 new per year would be easier to manage.
I believe I read your initial comment incorrectly and took it to heart. My apologies Army. Been going through a super rough time in my life and the proverbial wearing my heart on my sleeve seems to be a bit more ever present these days. My mom is in the latter stages of Alzheimer's and I am her sole caregiver as she lives with me and it is the hardest thing I have ever done. I am also a single mom with a loving son who thankfully lives with me and stands by my side. He was bullied when he was very young and the scars have not healed. Hence, my sensitivity to Cronin's public conduct. God bless and thank you for being so kind and explaining 💙💛
You owe nobody an apology. You express your opinion and I think that's what these sites are all about. The constant negativity of some people takes me back to the days where, believe it or not, some were critical of Coach Wooden for the one year (1974) when they didn't win it all. Coach Wooden retired in large part because of the monster he created. I've seen some of our "fans" over the years and the entitlement can get out of hand. And, most of them have no idea what they are actually looking at on the court.
There will never be another Coach... the thing that was so wonderful about Coach Wooden was how he managed all of his players so exquisitely. Walton comes to mind... his players loved him far beyond the game. No matter the wins and national championships of other Coaches, no one will ever match Coach.
My father played baseball at UCLA in the late 40s. I introduced myself to Coach one evening and he asked if I was related to my father and he remarked that he used to watch my father play baseball and that baseball was his favorite sport. You may be aware of this, but Coach was once offered the job of manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates, even though he’d never coached baseball.
What a wonderful story and memory of Coach and your dad. I didn't know Coach was offered to coach baseball... Above all Coach was a teacher and he could apply his teachings skills to any sport. I met Wooden as well and he was so kind and gracious. He signed my basketball on campus following the 1995 National Championship. I remember Bill Nantz saying ... there was some magic on the floor and a wizard in the stands when Coach began to exit the Kingdome. I know Coach didn't like the 'wizard' moniker but he was a masterful teacher of young men, sprinkled with a bit of magic 💙💛
Tamara - for what it's worth, I've been where you are as a sole caretaker of a parent - just remember to take care of yourself, it's the hardest thing for caretakers to remember to do
Nice write up, Dmitri. The kids played with energy from the opening tip. If they continue down this road, there will be growth. It’s unlikely to be linear and will likely have some head scratching defeats and the claims that Mick Cronin isn’t a good coach will return. They come out after any loss like worms after a rainstorm.
I concur and your analogy is perfect.
Ahhh the nastiness continues... Worms huh? Perhaps there are those who do not agree with Cronin's conduct which these days appears to be all over the place from screaming at and demeaning his players in public to moments of taking at least some responsibility for the results this season.
Yes the players did play with energy and yes there could still be growth. But Mick was a big reason the confidence on this team was so low. Mick has shown an ugly side of himself that may have always been there but less noticeable given the teams he had the last few years.
Mick is not a great offensive mind which has cost us games in seasons past. His realm is defense which is fine but he has shown deficits in leadership. We will see how this season transpires.
I think there’s a lot more to Mick and his relationships with his players than the public knows, including me. We haven’t seen any mass exodus of players from the program as one would expect if things were out of control. It’s never been easier to leave a program than it is right now. Offensively, his teams have been efficient until this year if you use kenpom.com as a source. One could complain about tempo or lack thereof, as many of us prefer a faster pace, including me. However, his record speaks for itself.
All fair points Army. It will be interesting to see how this season shakes out and I will be there cheering for this team every game. I have been a die hard Bruin since my KKG sorority days as an undergrad and I was fortunate to get my master's from the school I love so much. I used to be the one with pom poms and bruin bears nearly covering up my back windshield 🤣 I only want the best for our players and hope this team can continue in a positive direction.
Tamara, you are here win or lose. There are certain people that only show up after a loss to complain. I saw the very first championship team as a kid and remember seeing Kareem as a freshman. I always dreamed of playing at UCLA, but was just an above average high school player and playing at UCLA was more pipe dream. I would not have wanted to play for Mick Cronin. That being said, I think the players he will attract have a pretty good idea what to expect. This is an unusual year with 7 new players. 3-4 new per year would be easier to manage.
I believe I read your initial comment incorrectly and took it to heart. My apologies Army. Been going through a super rough time in my life and the proverbial wearing my heart on my sleeve seems to be a bit more ever present these days. My mom is in the latter stages of Alzheimer's and I am her sole caregiver as she lives with me and it is the hardest thing I have ever done. I am also a single mom with a loving son who thankfully lives with me and stands by my side. He was bullied when he was very young and the scars have not healed. Hence, my sensitivity to Cronin's public conduct. God bless and thank you for being so kind and explaining 💙💛
You owe nobody an apology. You express your opinion and I think that's what these sites are all about. The constant negativity of some people takes me back to the days where, believe it or not, some were critical of Coach Wooden for the one year (1974) when they didn't win it all. Coach Wooden retired in large part because of the monster he created. I've seen some of our "fans" over the years and the entitlement can get out of hand. And, most of them have no idea what they are actually looking at on the court.
There will never be another Coach... the thing that was so wonderful about Coach Wooden was how he managed all of his players so exquisitely. Walton comes to mind... his players loved him far beyond the game. No matter the wins and national championships of other Coaches, no one will ever match Coach.
My father played baseball at UCLA in the late 40s. I introduced myself to Coach one evening and he asked if I was related to my father and he remarked that he used to watch my father play baseball and that baseball was his favorite sport. You may be aware of this, but Coach was once offered the job of manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates, even though he’d never coached baseball.
What a wonderful story and memory of Coach and your dad. I didn't know Coach was offered to coach baseball... Above all Coach was a teacher and he could apply his teachings skills to any sport. I met Wooden as well and he was so kind and gracious. He signed my basketball on campus following the 1995 National Championship. I remember Bill Nantz saying ... there was some magic on the floor and a wizard in the stands when Coach began to exit the Kingdome. I know Coach didn't like the 'wizard' moniker but he was a masterful teacher of young men, sprinkled with a bit of magic 💙💛
Tamara - for what it's worth, I've been where you are as a sole caretaker of a parent - just remember to take care of yourself, it's the hardest thing for caretakers to remember to do
Thank you from my 💙💛 Clio.
Thoughts and hugs from your UCLA and TMB family, Tamara.
Thank you my friend 💙💛
hear hear