Big Ten basketball has not been kind to UCLA basketball, and their head coach, Mick Cronin. Many stories have circulated since conference play began. For starters, Cronin called out UCLA basketball's ‘delusional' players after a loss against Michigan. Then, when they traveled to play Maryland, they made headlines once again.
The head coach was ejected from the game, which proved to be a microcosm of the Bruins' season up to this point. The 11-6 record and 2-4 record in conference play isn't appealing, to say the least. However, Cronin spoke to reporters on Thursday about his thoughts on the rough stretch.
“I think we are trying, but here are the facts. We have struggled in Big Ten basketball. Our two wins were against teams we were familiar with playing against. The truth of it is, that Big Ten basketball is different. It’s a much more physical game.”
Going from a run-and-gun basketball conference to a more physical conference hasn't helped. The formerly Pac-12 was built on pace and space. Getting athletes out in space and playing the transition game. However, Big Ten basketball is not the way, in the slightest.
It's rooted around a half-court offense, post-play, as well as pure physicality. While teams like Rutgers have added athleticism and a balanced attack, the majority of Big Ten schools have stuck with their bread and butter. As a result, UCLA basketball hasn't been as dominant as usual.
Mick Cronin sees major differences in UCLA basketball with Big Ten play
Although the offense has taken a major nosedive, the Bruins are right there with the Big Ten in terms of defensive play style. Cronin's squad is 18th in the country in points allowed per game (63.4). Cronin only had two seasons with UCLA where he didn't make the NCAA tournament.
Not to mention, the Bruins made the Final Four in Cronin's second season. While the program hasn't had that same sustained success, Cronin's coaching acumen remains impressive. The first season in the Big Ten hasn't done well for them, unfortunately. After Cronin dropped a confident take about the 2024-25 season for UCLA basketball, that sentiment might've flown out the window.
Still, there's plenty of the season remaining for the Bruins. For any team, getting those early-season struggles out of the way could be beneficial. There's no clear front-runner for who can secure the conference championship. As a result, that might be the ultimate segway for the Bruins to pull a Cinderella and have an in-season turnaround.