NCAA Men's Championship: Regional Semifinal: UCLA vs Alabama Sunday, March 28, 2021 Indianapolis, Indiana, USA Hinkle Fieldhouse and it was headed the wrong way, but the guys toughened UCLA Bruins up and just did an unbelievable job of battling, for a small Coach team. Sweet 16 Postgame Media Conference And then Jalen Clark got us some big offensive rebounds. Not only did we start blocking off better, we started offensive rebounding, which gave us some life, some second chance points, and some second chances to score, UCLA - 88, Alabama - 78 some opportunities to get the ball in the basket. THE MODERATOR: We are joined by UCLA head coach So I'm really -- and I would say, you know, look, we had a Mick Cronin. We'll get started with an opening statement. lot of guys that had great performances, but David Singleton is just a tremendous kid. He's everything that MICK CRONIN: First of all, I want to congratulate Alabama UCLA is all about as a school, just a great kid, great family, on their season. To win the SEC Tournament and regular just great character, so happy for him. Just so happy for season is a tremendous accomplishment. They got some David. Just an unbelievable game for him. excellent seniors that play the right way. They play extremely hard. So congratulations to them. Q. Coach, you guys have been in a million of these finishes this season, but when they hit that big three, I've been on the other side of this, and it's like driving off a they had so much momentum, what was kind of the cliff. It's excruciating. So it should not be -- the excellent feeling, and what did you say in the huddle before season they had should not be dismissed. overtime that kind of sparked that big run there? That said, we held them to seven made threes. It was a MICK CRONIN: Not a lot. I just tried to stay calm with the huge key for us. We had guys -- I told our guys, you know, guys, just tell them we've got to continue to execute. I the deeper you go, you've got to keep us alive with your thought our guys had found a rhythm with them defensively performance on both ends. We have six guys in double and adjusted a little bit to their speed, and they'd kind of figures -- six. gone small, and it was going to be what it was going to be. They would run a pick-and-roll, get the switch, and try to I think somebody asked me -- in fact, my guy -- when I'm beat us off the dribble. done with this, I do radio. The UCLA guy said, well, what about scoring outside of Jaime and Jules? Scoring's not Cody Riley really had some big stops, some blocked shots. our problem. We've got plenty of guys that can put the ball Obviously, not easy for a guy his size to stay in front of in the basket. Can we stop Alabama, their speed, their Jahvon Quinerly, but these guys have been resilient all quickness, their three-point shooting, and then keep them year, man. I don't know if this is a fact, but we've got to be off the offensive glass? Second chance points, we were the only team left out here with no seniors. only minus two. So I thought that was going to be the big key for us. There's many times we could have packed it in, but I told them, they've been putting up with me for two years now I thought game plan-wise -- you can game plan to defend trying to beat into them competitive spirit and toughness the three, but when that ball comes off the rim and it's in because, when you combine that with talent, you have a the air and on the floor, you can't let the other team want to chance to do great things. They've allowed me to do it, win more than you. And our guys did it -- we're not the and you're seeing the results of it right now. most athletic team without Chris Smith and Jalen Hill, so our guys just did a great job. Early on, we were down Q. There seemed like there were a lot of turning points eight, 19-11, and we were already minus five on the glass,

106160-1-1222 2021-03-29 02:46:00 GMT Page 1 of 4 in this game, and you alluded to it. At about 17-9, you passing lane. I don't remember the last time, Sam, that we called a time-out. They were on a role at about the had eight steals, but those are big baskets, right? In a 11-minute mark, and that turned the game around, it game like this, you get two easy points are gold. So those seemed, for you guys. What exactly did you tell them? are huge plays by Tyger. What message? What did you emphasize in that time-out? Q. Coach Cronin, can you talk about the resiliency of your ball club, of being together and staying focused MICK CRONIN: Well, I think we got confused early on a after Johnny had fouled out? couple of -- trying to fight over some screens, and they beat us off the dribble. So we just simplified everything MICK CRONIN: Well, that's the advantage of having guys defensively in how we were going to defend it, and we like Jake Kyman and David Singleton. Tyger and Cody, were just going to have to deal with some mismatches we're thin at those positions, but we're deep on the wing. because we were trying to -- it was a strategic adjustment. Like I said, David Singleton was monstrous today. Jake Then it was also I discussed the rebounding situation. We Kyman hit some big ones in our last win. David's got 15 were already minus five on the glass. monster points for us.

They've got so much talent that, if you give them second I thought Cody -- and then we tried to start getting the ball and third shots, they're going to beat you. So I discussed inside to Cody when Johnny fouled out, and he had a that, but then there was a strategic thing we did with their couple of big buckets for us as well. screening that just tried to simplify it for our guys, and that way we didn't get confused. I thought that helped us. Q. Mick, how much has this team's confidence grown from the end of the Pac-12 Tournament to now? Q. Hey, Mick, was there any thought to fouling? MICK CRONIN: Well, I would say that the Michigan State MICK CRONIN: Absolutely. win was a big turning point. And I'll just give you -- you know, from a psychology standpoint, last year we lost to Q. Because I was screaming for you to foul him. them in Maui. It was a dogfight. We played great. We were 2 for 15 from three. We couldn't score. But we MICK CRONIN: Here, I'm a foul guy. Our concern that he battled them physically, and it was progress because two had a time-out, and I had told -- he saw me -- Coach Oats years ago they were down -- this group of guys, some of saw me telling Tyger and the guys to foul. When Dave the guys were on this team -- David, Jules were freshmen. makes it, we're going to foul at half-court. My biggest Tyger was sitting out. Cody was playing. Chris Smith was concern was that, when we went to foul, they were going to playing. Kenneth Nwuba was on the team. shoot a half-court shot, and we were going to foul a guy shooting a three-point shot. Literally, they got embarrassed against Michigan State, I mean, like down 30 at half or something. It was bad. And You know, Bill, you cover the NBA, they don't foul for that the guys, for them to come that far to where they could reason. The pro guys are really crafty. So we thought with beat a program like Michigan State, I think it just did four seconds, you know, we had -- if we just make one wonders for their confidence. rotation and choke that side of the floor down, we steal that pass. They don't even get that shot off. Q. Mick, I don't know if you could recall this or not, but was there a different feel in the huddle when you guys That being said, yeah, I am a foul guy, but that's -- you got forced into overtime in this one than when you did know, that was my concern, Bill. They knew, and when we against Oregon State? went to foul him, he was going to shoot it. So obviously, the kids bailed me out. We played great in overtime. MICK CRONIN: Oh, for sure. Oregon State or Michigan State, we've been in a lot of them. Obviously, Oregon Q. had two steals, and he turned both State was tough because, obviously, Jules was down on of them into baskets on his own. Can you just talk himself for the free throw. Michigan State, I think I was about that one overtime where he picked off the pass extremely fired up because it took everything we had to and got the fast break bucket all on his own? catch a team like that with a Hall of Fame coach from down. MICK CRONIN: Yeah, he did a great job of reading their drive and reading the kickout. The more we adjusted to This was tough. When you're in this situation, man, and stay in front of the ball, we were kicking out into the that happens to you at the buzzer, you've got every reason

106160-1-1222 2021-03-29 02:46:00 GMT Page 2 of 4 to fold. Every reason to fold, Mike, as you know. Look, the next game. Sure, I'm proud of where we're at. man, we were down 14 in West Lafayette, and it's cold, we're all from southern California. Even me now, I hate the I would give the players credit. Some people take jobs, cold weather. My blood is thin, buddy. These guys just and everybody's running for the hills, and everybody refused to give in. stayed. I even had two fifth-year seniors stay. They stayed. Everybody showed up, and we got to work. You know me. You know how much I've been trying to instill that will in them, where you just refuse to give in. I can share this with you, Pete. I told the guys that, if you'll Somebody might beat you, but you never let up, and you listen and you'll hang in there, this is not going to be easy, never give in. So I give the kids all the credit, man. but you'll be able to have pride, and you'll be able to hold Obviously, like I said, they bailed me out, and, shoot, they up your end of the bargain at UCLA, and you'll have a lot -- played as good in overtime as you could possibly play. you'd better hang your head high. You're going to have pride, and we're going to win games, but it will not be easy Q. Mick, you talked about how excruciating it is to because it's hard to win. A lot of great coaches in our lose this game and you know that feeling. How good business, and there's a reason they always win, because does it feel to be on the other side for you? the standard is the standard, and you have to demand so much commitment. MICK CRONIN: Again, I've said this, but it is tough being on the other side. March Madness, I'm going to say it, you But I give the kids credit because, look, there's already a can't change. I've said this. They had a great year. So thousand people in the transfer portal. So it's easy to cut many teams have a great year, and we go to this crazy bait and run. It's hard to dig in and deal with a short tournament that entertains America, and it's tough. For me Irishman telling you to get in a defensive stance. I'm very -- so somebody said, well, now you've been to an Elite thankful that the guys all hung in there and helped me build Eight. That's not why I came to UCLA. this.

I've got a lot of friends in the NBA, they make fun of people Q. I saw you guys play a few times earlier this year. that have rings that say conference champion. There's You've had some tough losses. You mentioned the only one. Whoever wins the NBA title is the world Oregon State one, USC at the end of the season. I saw champion. a crazy Stanford game you lost. Are you a believer that maybe things even out over the course of time, or So for me, we've got to win three more games. I'm happy were you building to where you are now, where maybe we're alive. You do this to try to have a chance, and you you do make that extra play in a close game? never know when this chance is going to come along again, as a coach, as a coaching staff. You just never MICK CRONIN: Yeah, look, I think it does help you to be know. in dogfights, and it helps you to play against really good teams, Dan. I think that my experience tells me that it's So right now, I can't wait to get back and start watching fool's gold when you run up and down and you don't get Michigan because I understand how great of a team they resistance and it's easy to score. We haven't had one of have. I'm well aware of how fragile this tournament is, and those games in a long time. Even Abilene Christian, an opportunity doesn't always knock at your door. Coach Golding does a great job. We made that look easier than it was. Q. If you don't mind stepping back for me, you're obviously just in your second season, and you've So I think the Pac-12, obviously, is extremely underrated. gotten UCLA three wins away from the Final Four. We're going to have three teams in the . Could you just put it in perspective from the big Unfortunately, we've got two playing against each other picture -- I know you said no seniors playing for you right now. You mentioned Stanford. They're a tremendous this year. Just what you've been able to build in a team, extremely deep team, and that was a road game. short period of time, and what it means for you to see So I think being in a great league and playing those type of the team come through in clutch situations like this games does help you. and keep pushing forward? But, again, I give my players credit because some teams MICK CRONIN: Having worked for and Rick fall apart when the pressure comes, and these guys Pitino, I got tremendous training to get here. So it's my haven't done it, man. They're good kids, and they've dug 18th year. All thanks to Dan Guerrero for giving me this in there. opportunity. I would say this, you got to stay focused on

106160-1-1222 2021-03-29 02:46:00 GMT Page 3 of 4 Q. Just going back to what you were talking about with their resilience that you've tried to instill and your gratefulness of the players for taking that on, did you have any doubts about -- you know, you're new to the West Coast, and UCLA players -- I don't know. Maybe Earl Watson is the last guy that came to UCLA to play defense. So that they would -- and they weren't your players -- that they would buy in and be able to play in the way you're playing now?

MICK CRONIN: Look, when I took the job, we had one scholarship player. So part of my decision in going to UCLA was we had played them, and I knew the roster. I also knew Jaime Jaquez. I did not know Jake Kyman. Tried to recruit Jaime. So, yes, I knew what the roster was, but they didn't have to stay. And I was honest with them from jump street. I said there is no -- I hear this all the time. Well, he doesn't have his players yet. Yes, I do because I told those guys in the first meeting, you show up at workouts tomorrow -- I addressed that.

If you show up at workouts tomorrow, you're my player. If you don't want to, I fully understand. We'll find you a new home. But if you show up tomorrow, I don't ever want to hear, if we sign a player, that he's going to play his guy.

It's real clear, guys. I'm here to develop you on and off the floor as young men. When we get out there on the floor, we're going to play hard and play to win and represent the four letters. Now, if you show up tomorrow, I don't ever want to hear it again. You are my players. You play for Mick Cronin, period, end of story. So I tried to eliminate that from jump street.

And all that stuff about West Coast teams not playing -- it's so bad. It's so wrong. , , . Look at and Dana. Look at the coaches in our league, man. It's a battle royal. We have great coaching in the Pac-12. Great coaching. I didn't mention . I haven't beat him yet. Our league is so much better than people know. Everybody's sleeping when we play.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Coach. Appreciate the time. Congrats on the win. We'll see you on Tuesday.

MICK CRONIN: Thanks, guys.

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