Postgame Quotes - Michigan 94, UCLA 75
POSTGAME QUOTES
Michigan 94, UCLA 75
Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom)
January 7, 2025
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
opening statement
“Obviously they shot the ball well, but we’re soft. We’re too soft to play hard enough. We can’t get an offensive rebound. It’s a five-point game and Kobe Johnson lets a guy take the ball from him – same thing with Sebastian Mack. And we finally do get a stop, and we can’t get a defensive rebound. They didn’t have a million of them, because they didn’t miss that many shots, but there were a few. Kobe, Sebastian, huge, back-breaking. And they’ve got inside position, so don’t tell me you want to win. To start the game, Tyler Bilodeau gave up 12 points. Two screens, he didn’t say a word, and he got dunked on two times. So just don’t tell me you want to win. We’re soft, aside from, to be fair, they have a unique skillset and the way they shoot the ball. But we’re soft.”
on the team’s motivation
“I have to run on the court to get guys to play hard. It’s crazy and it’s every day, I’m tired of it. I have the most energy of anybody in practice every day. I’m upset with everybody in that locker room, my assistant coaches and my players. I don’t need to do anything – I’ve got 500 wins and I’m 53. You’d think I’m coaching the Lakers, it’s a joke. And I come in and I have more passion and energy and pride than anybody in there, that’s the problem. That’s the truth right now. When number 3’s hot, shooting 4-7 from three, you cannot let him shoot. He’s going to back up. Next two plays, he made two. Will Kyle let him shoot, just stood there. He just looked at him and said ‘are you just going to let me shoot’ and bang. Next play, Dylan Andrews, bang.”
on fixing the team’s mindset
“Here’s what you do – you play the guys that play hard and do what you tell them. But right now, I’m searching deeply for some guys that will play hard enough to win a Big Ten game. As poor as we shot the ball at Nebraska, our second half defense was embarrassing. So the truth of it is that it’s really hard to coach people that are delusional. The hungry dog gets the bone. We’ve got guys who think they’re way better than they are, they’re nice kids, but they’re completely delusional about who they are. The team that’s mind is on the right stuff, and is hungry to win in conference play, is the team that’s probably going to win. Right now, we’re far. If this wasn’t the humble pie they needed, then I don’t know. But why wasn’t it the Nebraska game? I don’t know. We’ll see. The problem is that right now I’m frustrated with my players and my staff and it’s been this way all year with this team. I told them the toughest guy in the room can’t be me every day. It can’t. You can only do so much.”
on whether this performance was abnormal
“No. The truth of it is, if you look at our schedule since December, it’s been really tough. I was worried about our gas tank, because this was going to take a monumental defensive effort if they shot the ball. There are games where they’ve been 4-for-20 from three, wasn’t today. When they shoot the ball well, it’s really hard to defend. And I was worried about whether our gas tank was where it needed to be, and our mental state. If it’s your mental state, you fight through it. Our guys are delusional about what it’s going to take to win games. We watched film on the Nebraska game thinking it wasn’t our game and the ball didn’t go in; no. Our defense was embarrassing in the second half of that game. Our last three halves of defense, we gave up 42, 47, and 47 points. That’s not going to cut it. The truth is, we can’t score enough, especially when we’re shooting the ball from the three 2-20 and from the foul line, we missed eleven free throws. The only chance we have, and I told them this on July 8th, is to be the toughest team and have a great defensive team. We don’t have anybody that was an all-league player last year, in any league, and we’ve got guys from a lot of leagues. That’s just the truth.”
on his message to the team
“Why should I have to challenge your manhood, your character, and your toughness? You can only do that so much. And right now, I don’t have a player. Last year, Adem Bona would have been going crazy. The year before, Tyger, Jaime, and David. We don’t have that.”
on the difference between tonight’s game and the game against Gonzaga
“We gave up 40 more points. We held Arizona in the 50s, Gonzaga in the 50s and 60s. We saw the difference, the other team scored 94. I’m running on the court to try to get guys to pressure the ball and play hard. Come on, man. I think it’s pretty clear that we’re not winning a three-point shooting contest with Michigan. If it’s a game of horse, they’ve got guys five feet behind the line that aren’t missing. We’ve got guys that are 2 for 20. I just question our toughness. I don’t question it; the reality is the reality. You’ve got guys one-on-one and they’ve got position to get a rebound, and a guy from Michigan just throws him out of the way and gets the ball. Welcome to the Big Ten.”
on their play against Michigan’s bigs
“Not enough. But I didn’t see enough from anyone on the floor.”
UCLA forward Eric Dailey Jr.
on the team’s fight
“We just have to keep having toughness. We came back a little bit in the second half, but we just had to keep doing the things that got us there. Toughness is a real thing. Offensively, some things weren’t falling for us, but at the end of the day, great teams win games when shots aren’t falling. We just need to be better.”
on the vocal leaders in the locker room
“A lot of our veteran guys talk. It’s the same message – toughness. It’s hard, this is Big Ten basketball now. We have to be the tougher team every night, especially when we are undersized. We have to have more fight and toughness. Those are the things that win games. It’s the intangibles.”
on what Coach Cronin's message to the team was after the game
“We have to find a way to win when it gets tough. There is nothing other than that. Some teams are going to make shots in your gym, some nights we are going to be off, some nights we are going to be on. But it’s the little things, possessions, turnovers, loose balls, fouls, all of those things that lead up to games like this. We are playing against a really good team and things happen. We have to be prepared to shake back from, and this game is a learning experience. That’s fine. We have two more games on the road coming up. We have to be ready.”
on Coach Cronin’s comments about the team after the game
“We know we aren’t soft. I’m not soft, and the guy sitting next to me is definitely not soft and those guys in the locker room are not soft. They are just words right now. We have to show him that we are tough. So it’s just motivation to fight. It’s all we can do.”
on what makes the Big Ten games different
“They are just bigger. Literally, Big Ten, the players are bigger in this conference, and the skill stuff. It’s still no excuse for how we played tonight. All of that is up to us. We could have done a lot of things better to win the game. This is not the PAC-12 anymore, that’s fine, we are in a better league. This is what we wanted. This is what we came here for, to play good teams in what I think is the best conference in college right now. We have games coming up that we have to be prepared for, we are going to learn from this, watch film, and go at it in practice tomorrow. That’s part of the game, that’s part of the grind.”
on the message the loss sends to the team
“We have stuff to work on as a team. Shots are going to fall. I’m going to keep saying the same thing because it is true, toughness. That’s it.”
UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau
on the team’s conversations after the defeat
“We have to be tougher. We had a little spurt there in the second half, but we have to sustain it for the whole. Every game is going to be a fight and we have to know that. We have to be prepared.”
on the team’s defensive gameplan and Michigan’s perimeter shooting
“It was in the scouting report. I think they made 19 threes last game, so we know they could really shoot it. I think communication and not letting the ball get inside was a big focus, but also we knew they could shoot, so we had to get the shooters. I think communication was the biggest thing.”
on the struggles from three-point range for the team:
“I think we will be fine. I think we are a really good three-point shooting team. Obviously had a tough couple games shooting the ball, but I think it will come, I’m not worried about it.”
Michigan head coach Dusty May
opening remarks
"We showed a lot of resolve. When the fight came, we didn't give in. I like the way our team responded. I thought we played well."
on the career days for Vladislav Goldin and Tre Donaldson
"Both had sensational performances. They really play with a high basketball IQ. Once UCLA guarded Vlad in the paint, we were able to set off-ball screens for Tre. Our guys really had it going. We played with great intelligence."
on Vladislav Goldin's performance
"Vlad really guarded the ball. He shut down the paint. When we got Danny [Wolf] and Vlad, we thought they would be the best frontcourt duo in the country. We're not quite there yet, but we're close to that."
on their 4-0 conference record and what they will work on moving forward
"We had three road wins, and so we can't get complacent. We'll go back home and see what to expect from the other opponents. We just have to not be overconfident. We managed the clock much better tonight when UCLA made their run."
on Michigan’s other standout performances
"Nimari Burnett had some really good key rebounds. Rubin Jones played tough and handled the pressure well. These toughness plays gave us momentum."
Michigan 94, UCLA 75
Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom)
January 7, 2025
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
opening statement
“Obviously they shot the ball well, but we’re soft. We’re too soft to play hard enough. We can’t get an offensive rebound. It’s a five-point game and Kobe Johnson lets a guy take the ball from him – same thing with Sebastian Mack. And we finally do get a stop, and we can’t get a defensive rebound. They didn’t have a million of them, because they didn’t miss that many shots, but there were a few. Kobe, Sebastian, huge, back-breaking. And they’ve got inside position, so don’t tell me you want to win. To start the game, Tyler Bilodeau gave up 12 points. Two screens, he didn’t say a word, and he got dunked on two times. So just don’t tell me you want to win. We’re soft, aside from, to be fair, they have a unique skillset and the way they shoot the ball. But we’re soft.”
on the team’s motivation
“I have to run on the court to get guys to play hard. It’s crazy and it’s every day, I’m tired of it. I have the most energy of anybody in practice every day. I’m upset with everybody in that locker room, my assistant coaches and my players. I don’t need to do anything – I’ve got 500 wins and I’m 53. You’d think I’m coaching the Lakers, it’s a joke. And I come in and I have more passion and energy and pride than anybody in there, that’s the problem. That’s the truth right now. When number 3’s hot, shooting 4-7 from three, you cannot let him shoot. He’s going to back up. Next two plays, he made two. Will Kyle let him shoot, just stood there. He just looked at him and said ‘are you just going to let me shoot’ and bang. Next play, Dylan Andrews, bang.”
on fixing the team’s mindset
“Here’s what you do – you play the guys that play hard and do what you tell them. But right now, I’m searching deeply for some guys that will play hard enough to win a Big Ten game. As poor as we shot the ball at Nebraska, our second half defense was embarrassing. So the truth of it is that it’s really hard to coach people that are delusional. The hungry dog gets the bone. We’ve got guys who think they’re way better than they are, they’re nice kids, but they’re completely delusional about who they are. The team that’s mind is on the right stuff, and is hungry to win in conference play, is the team that’s probably going to win. Right now, we’re far. If this wasn’t the humble pie they needed, then I don’t know. But why wasn’t it the Nebraska game? I don’t know. We’ll see. The problem is that right now I’m frustrated with my players and my staff and it’s been this way all year with this team. I told them the toughest guy in the room can’t be me every day. It can’t. You can only do so much.”
on whether this performance was abnormal
“No. The truth of it is, if you look at our schedule since December, it’s been really tough. I was worried about our gas tank, because this was going to take a monumental defensive effort if they shot the ball. There are games where they’ve been 4-for-20 from three, wasn’t today. When they shoot the ball well, it’s really hard to defend. And I was worried about whether our gas tank was where it needed to be, and our mental state. If it’s your mental state, you fight through it. Our guys are delusional about what it’s going to take to win games. We watched film on the Nebraska game thinking it wasn’t our game and the ball didn’t go in; no. Our defense was embarrassing in the second half of that game. Our last three halves of defense, we gave up 42, 47, and 47 points. That’s not going to cut it. The truth is, we can’t score enough, especially when we’re shooting the ball from the three 2-20 and from the foul line, we missed eleven free throws. The only chance we have, and I told them this on July 8th, is to be the toughest team and have a great defensive team. We don’t have anybody that was an all-league player last year, in any league, and we’ve got guys from a lot of leagues. That’s just the truth.”
on his message to the team
“Why should I have to challenge your manhood, your character, and your toughness? You can only do that so much. And right now, I don’t have a player. Last year, Adem Bona would have been going crazy. The year before, Tyger, Jaime, and David. We don’t have that.”
on the difference between tonight’s game and the game against Gonzaga
“We gave up 40 more points. We held Arizona in the 50s, Gonzaga in the 50s and 60s. We saw the difference, the other team scored 94. I’m running on the court to try to get guys to pressure the ball and play hard. Come on, man. I think it’s pretty clear that we’re not winning a three-point shooting contest with Michigan. If it’s a game of horse, they’ve got guys five feet behind the line that aren’t missing. We’ve got guys that are 2 for 20. I just question our toughness. I don’t question it; the reality is the reality. You’ve got guys one-on-one and they’ve got position to get a rebound, and a guy from Michigan just throws him out of the way and gets the ball. Welcome to the Big Ten.”
on their play against Michigan’s bigs
“Not enough. But I didn’t see enough from anyone on the floor.”
UCLA forward Eric Dailey Jr.
on the team’s fight
“We just have to keep having toughness. We came back a little bit in the second half, but we just had to keep doing the things that got us there. Toughness is a real thing. Offensively, some things weren’t falling for us, but at the end of the day, great teams win games when shots aren’t falling. We just need to be better.”
on the vocal leaders in the locker room
“A lot of our veteran guys talk. It’s the same message – toughness. It’s hard, this is Big Ten basketball now. We have to be the tougher team every night, especially when we are undersized. We have to have more fight and toughness. Those are the things that win games. It’s the intangibles.”
on what Coach Cronin's message to the team was after the game
“We have to find a way to win when it gets tough. There is nothing other than that. Some teams are going to make shots in your gym, some nights we are going to be off, some nights we are going to be on. But it’s the little things, possessions, turnovers, loose balls, fouls, all of those things that lead up to games like this. We are playing against a really good team and things happen. We have to be prepared to shake back from, and this game is a learning experience. That’s fine. We have two more games on the road coming up. We have to be ready.”
on Coach Cronin’s comments about the team after the game
“We know we aren’t soft. I’m not soft, and the guy sitting next to me is definitely not soft and those guys in the locker room are not soft. They are just words right now. We have to show him that we are tough. So it’s just motivation to fight. It’s all we can do.”
on what makes the Big Ten games different
“They are just bigger. Literally, Big Ten, the players are bigger in this conference, and the skill stuff. It’s still no excuse for how we played tonight. All of that is up to us. We could have done a lot of things better to win the game. This is not the PAC-12 anymore, that’s fine, we are in a better league. This is what we wanted. This is what we came here for, to play good teams in what I think is the best conference in college right now. We have games coming up that we have to be prepared for, we are going to learn from this, watch film, and go at it in practice tomorrow. That’s part of the game, that’s part of the grind.”
on the message the loss sends to the team
“We have stuff to work on as a team. Shots are going to fall. I’m going to keep saying the same thing because it is true, toughness. That’s it.”
UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau
on the team’s conversations after the defeat
“We have to be tougher. We had a little spurt there in the second half, but we have to sustain it for the whole. Every game is going to be a fight and we have to know that. We have to be prepared.”
on the team’s defensive gameplan and Michigan’s perimeter shooting
“It was in the scouting report. I think they made 19 threes last game, so we know they could really shoot it. I think communication and not letting the ball get inside was a big focus, but also we knew they could shoot, so we had to get the shooters. I think communication was the biggest thing.”
on the struggles from three-point range for the team:
“I think we will be fine. I think we are a really good three-point shooting team. Obviously had a tough couple games shooting the ball, but I think it will come, I’m not worried about it.”
Michigan head coach Dusty May
opening remarks
"We showed a lot of resolve. When the fight came, we didn't give in. I like the way our team responded. I thought we played well."
on the career days for Vladislav Goldin and Tre Donaldson
"Both had sensational performances. They really play with a high basketball IQ. Once UCLA guarded Vlad in the paint, we were able to set off-ball screens for Tre. Our guys really had it going. We played with great intelligence."
on Vladislav Goldin's performance
"Vlad really guarded the ball. He shut down the paint. When we got Danny [Wolf] and Vlad, we thought they would be the best frontcourt duo in the country. We're not quite there yet, but we're close to that."
on their 4-0 conference record and what they will work on moving forward
"We had three road wins, and so we can't get complacent. We'll go back home and see what to expect from the other opponents. We just have to not be overconfident. We managed the clock much better tonight when UCLA made their run."
on Michigan’s other standout performances
"Nimari Burnett had some really good key rebounds. Rubin Jones played tough and handled the pressure well. These toughness plays gave us momentum."