Upsets can happen at any moment in college basketball and UCLA basketball, and head coach Mick Cronin had a taste of that. They defeated Michigan State, coached by Tom Izzo, 63-61 on the Bruins home court on Tuesday. Following the win, Izzo briefly told reporters that Cronin's coaching style is working.

“You better hope he keeps yelling,” Izzo said via Ben Bolch on X (formerly Twitter).

Cronin and UCLA basketball have been in the headlines for interesting reasons. He's been known to be quite brass and not hold anything back. He has repeatedly called out his players on numerous occasions. Most notably, Cronin called his UCLA basketball players delusional after a loss against Michigan.

Some thought it was too much, but as evidenced by their conference play and their record, something is working. The Bruins are 17-6 and 8-4 in conference play. Their first season in the Big 10 is proving to be a quality one, after some recent struggles. Getting respect from a winning coach like Izzo speaks volumes, but it doesn't come as much of a surprise.

Mick Cronin and UCLA basketball keep winning

Winning cures many things, especially negative attention. Despite some of the pessimistic comments about his team, he's quick to compliment. After the win, Cronin told his UCLA basketball team what the key was to cutting the nets down. They had only 3 turnovers on the night, despite shooting roughly 35% from the field.

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As simple as it is, playing mistake-free basketball can win a majority of games. Still, it's not how a team starts, but how they finish. Defeating the 9th-ranked team in the country is impressive. As of writing this, the Bruins are 4th in the Big 10 with an 8-4 conference record.

While Purdue and Michigan State are the two powerhouses, a win like this proves that UCLA basketball is legit. Following a down year in the Pac-12 and a new conference, Cronin has his guys on the right track. The defense has been legit, allowing the 20th fewest points per game in the country.

With the Big 10 conference tournament set to take place next month, the Bruins are heating up at the right time. Cronin's coaching acumen, combined with tough love, could be what the program ordered. He took the team to the 2021 Final Four, so he understands the expectations.

However, Izzo's remarks show that UCLA basketball is on the right trajectory. Plus, the two teams could square off in the conference tournament at some point. If another performance like this arises, remains to be seen.