University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Postgame Quotes - California 80, UCLA 72
POSTGAME QUOTES
California 80, UCLA 72
San Francisco, Calif. (Chase Center)
November 25, 2025
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Menโs Head Basketball Coach
opening statement
โCongratulations to Mark [Madsen] and his team. If I was watching this game, I would have been a fan of their team. I thought they had a great attitude. This time in my life, itโs something I appreciate. They deserved to win. They came ready to play. We had some guys who did not โ thatโs on me. It is what is, congratulations. I donโt look at the score. We had 20 deflections. Itโs a low, maybe a five-year low. I came in to Haas Pavilion with a bunch of freshmen, and they had an NBA player, we held them to 53 and won the game. But our team attitude was terrible โ itโs been a problem for a month. It affects performance. Get in a ring against somebody that wants to fight, give them confidence early, youโre in for a fight, aside from the fact we cannot make a free throw.โ
on the Bruinsโ early 8-0 start against California
โI think that right now we are good if things go well. I donโt think weโre very good if things donโt go well, until we get some leadership on our team at the guard position. That would help, and not panic with the ball. Things didnโt go well. We tried to go one on five, get our shot blocked, get our fourth foul โ we go one on five, and we get six or seven turnovers. When things donโt go well, we fold, we get soft and panic real quick. Although we are an older team, we lack a toughness right now. But our guys didnโt think this was going to be a game, in my opinion. In my opinion, they thought they were going to come in here and rah-rah-rah, they are just way better. Thatโs my opinion, everybodyโs got one, right, thatโs what they sayโ
on senior guard Donovan Dentโs performance
โYeah look, Iโm not happy with our performance, but I will take the blame. You guys can read the stat sheet, you saw the game. You make your own assessments. When it comes to the game, how we play is my responsibility.โ
ย
on if anything about Californiaโs gameplan that surprised him
โNo. Zero. Absolutely zero. Two of the last three games, coming in, they had made 15 threes, in two of their last three games. They ran exactly what we went over, to a T. I think that their attitude was better. Their toughness was much better. Their execution was better. That is because their attitude was better. They came to get a big win. Our guys thought it would be a walk in the park. Thatโs just my opinion.โ
ย
on the Bruinsโ struggles at the free throw line in November
โYeah, the month doesnโt matter. I mean, they should be able to make free throws in July. If you are playing at this level, youโd think that you would shoot the ball better at the foul line. But I would say, in my humble opinion, again, just my opinion, that they were pressured free throws. Thatโs a big difference. I would allude to my earlier statement that, weโve had games where we shot 20 for 22 or something, but we were winning those games easy. But I think our team struggles to take a punch. I would say, we got a glass jaw if you were to describe us as a fighter. That goes into the missing free throws. I donโt think itโs skill at all, not from the guys that miss them.โ
ย
on what he does next when he feels like his team needs to be tougher
โAll you can do is go back to work, thatโs it. Just go back to work and start pounding nails. Weโll toughen up or itโs going to be a long year. You canโt have a glass jaw. Thatโs scary right now, for us. Thatโs got me nervous.โ
ย
on what he can do in a huddle to help guys with their attitude and toughness
โWell, we have some guys injured so I was a little limited in terms of who to put in. So, not a lot of options with some of that going on. But trying to just keep rallying guys โ youโre trying to win the game. You worry about that stuff when you talk after the game and practice. You are trying to make adjustments in timeout huddles and win, and it starts with not fouling, starts with not giving the game away at the foul line. There was a time in the second half where we were minus 10 at the foul line, in the second half alone. Now, I know that we made a little comeback, we got to the foul line some. But, just trying to make adjustments, trying to get guys to stop fouling and get a lineup out there that could give us a chance to win, which I was struggling with. But that is what you are doing in timeout huddles.โ
ย
on having an older team and experience on this roster
โNot very smart team, though. Those older teams are smarter. We are struggling with that.โ
ย
on if that has surprised him with this team
โYes, yes, very much so. Very much so. Disappointed and surprised, but I think again, back to the earlier question, in the reference to the glass jaw โ itโs easy to play well, when life is going well and you are winning by 20, itโs easy. In my opinion, that has got a lot to do with it. You have to learn how to play in a real game and make real game decisions. We had a guy wide open, and Dent just throws the ball away. Youโve got two people and the guy is slipping, and heโs unguarded. We donโt go high, and we donโt go low. And you wonder why the steal it. We are just not good enough right now. I know that nobody wants to hear that, but you are not good enough. Weโre not good enough to stop a team from getting 80 points. Not good enough.โ
ย
UCLA junior Eric Dailey Jr.
on if the team entered the game with too casual of an attitude
โI mean, at the end of the day, we didnโt get the job done. That is the most important part. However we walked in tonight, I thought we had energy entering the game. But the result speaks for itself.โ
ย
on what he thinks happened after UCLA had an early 8-0 lead
โI think Iโve got to watch the film. Itโs an emotional game, but I need to take time to watch the film.โ
ย
on how he thinks the team will need to respond after tonightโs loss
โEverybody has to get their mind right โ get their minds right mentally, and get their bodies right, physically. We have a stretch of games where weโll have to perform, playing some Big Ten games and some more high-level games, so we have got to be ready.โ
ย
on how he can help to provide some leadership for this team
โYeah, most definitely. Iโll take it to heart every time. Iโm a winner, so when I lose, I donโt take this lightly. Obviously, what I did wasnโt enough tonight, so Iโve got to be better.โ
ย
on how he would describe the locker room after the game
โWe werenโt happy, obviously. But weโll figure it out, weโll figure it out.โ
ย
California 80, UCLA 72
San Francisco, Calif. (Chase Center)
November 25, 2025
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Menโs Head Basketball Coach
opening statement
โCongratulations to Mark [Madsen] and his team. If I was watching this game, I would have been a fan of their team. I thought they had a great attitude. This time in my life, itโs something I appreciate. They deserved to win. They came ready to play. We had some guys who did not โ thatโs on me. It is what is, congratulations. I donโt look at the score. We had 20 deflections. Itโs a low, maybe a five-year low. I came in to Haas Pavilion with a bunch of freshmen, and they had an NBA player, we held them to 53 and won the game. But our team attitude was terrible โ itโs been a problem for a month. It affects performance. Get in a ring against somebody that wants to fight, give them confidence early, youโre in for a fight, aside from the fact we cannot make a free throw.โ
on the Bruinsโ early 8-0 start against California
โI think that right now we are good if things go well. I donโt think weโre very good if things donโt go well, until we get some leadership on our team at the guard position. That would help, and not panic with the ball. Things didnโt go well. We tried to go one on five, get our shot blocked, get our fourth foul โ we go one on five, and we get six or seven turnovers. When things donโt go well, we fold, we get soft and panic real quick. Although we are an older team, we lack a toughness right now. But our guys didnโt think this was going to be a game, in my opinion. In my opinion, they thought they were going to come in here and rah-rah-rah, they are just way better. Thatโs my opinion, everybodyโs got one, right, thatโs what they sayโ
on senior guard Donovan Dentโs performance
โYeah look, Iโm not happy with our performance, but I will take the blame. You guys can read the stat sheet, you saw the game. You make your own assessments. When it comes to the game, how we play is my responsibility.โ
ย
on if anything about Californiaโs gameplan that surprised him
โNo. Zero. Absolutely zero. Two of the last three games, coming in, they had made 15 threes, in two of their last three games. They ran exactly what we went over, to a T. I think that their attitude was better. Their toughness was much better. Their execution was better. That is because their attitude was better. They came to get a big win. Our guys thought it would be a walk in the park. Thatโs just my opinion.โ
ย
on the Bruinsโ struggles at the free throw line in November
โYeah, the month doesnโt matter. I mean, they should be able to make free throws in July. If you are playing at this level, youโd think that you would shoot the ball better at the foul line. But I would say, in my humble opinion, again, just my opinion, that they were pressured free throws. Thatโs a big difference. I would allude to my earlier statement that, weโve had games where we shot 20 for 22 or something, but we were winning those games easy. But I think our team struggles to take a punch. I would say, we got a glass jaw if you were to describe us as a fighter. That goes into the missing free throws. I donโt think itโs skill at all, not from the guys that miss them.โ
ย
on what he does next when he feels like his team needs to be tougher
โAll you can do is go back to work, thatโs it. Just go back to work and start pounding nails. Weโll toughen up or itโs going to be a long year. You canโt have a glass jaw. Thatโs scary right now, for us. Thatโs got me nervous.โ
ย
on what he can do in a huddle to help guys with their attitude and toughness
โWell, we have some guys injured so I was a little limited in terms of who to put in. So, not a lot of options with some of that going on. But trying to just keep rallying guys โ youโre trying to win the game. You worry about that stuff when you talk after the game and practice. You are trying to make adjustments in timeout huddles and win, and it starts with not fouling, starts with not giving the game away at the foul line. There was a time in the second half where we were minus 10 at the foul line, in the second half alone. Now, I know that we made a little comeback, we got to the foul line some. But, just trying to make adjustments, trying to get guys to stop fouling and get a lineup out there that could give us a chance to win, which I was struggling with. But that is what you are doing in timeout huddles.โ
ย
on having an older team and experience on this roster
โNot very smart team, though. Those older teams are smarter. We are struggling with that.โ
ย
on if that has surprised him with this team
โYes, yes, very much so. Very much so. Disappointed and surprised, but I think again, back to the earlier question, in the reference to the glass jaw โ itโs easy to play well, when life is going well and you are winning by 20, itโs easy. In my opinion, that has got a lot to do with it. You have to learn how to play in a real game and make real game decisions. We had a guy wide open, and Dent just throws the ball away. Youโve got two people and the guy is slipping, and heโs unguarded. We donโt go high, and we donโt go low. And you wonder why the steal it. We are just not good enough right now. I know that nobody wants to hear that, but you are not good enough. Weโre not good enough to stop a team from getting 80 points. Not good enough.โ
ย
UCLA junior Eric Dailey Jr.
on if the team entered the game with too casual of an attitude
โI mean, at the end of the day, we didnโt get the job done. That is the most important part. However we walked in tonight, I thought we had energy entering the game. But the result speaks for itself.โ
ย
on what he thinks happened after UCLA had an early 8-0 lead
โI think Iโve got to watch the film. Itโs an emotional game, but I need to take time to watch the film.โ
ย
on how he thinks the team will need to respond after tonightโs loss
โEverybody has to get their mind right โ get their minds right mentally, and get their bodies right, physically. We have a stretch of games where weโll have to perform, playing some Big Ten games and some more high-level games, so we have got to be ready.โ
ย
on how he can help to provide some leadership for this team
โYeah, most definitely. Iโll take it to heart every time. Iโm a winner, so when I lose, I donโt take this lightly. Obviously, what I did wasnโt enough tonight, so Iโve got to be better.โ
ย
on how he would describe the locker room after the game
โWe werenโt happy, obviously. But weโll figure it out, weโll figure it out.โ
ย