University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Postgame Quotes - UCLA 72, Rutgers 59
POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 72, Rutgers 59
Big Ten Tournament (Third Round)
Chicago, Ill. (United Center)
March 12, 2026
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Menโs Head Basketball Coach
opening statement
โThey told me Donny [Dent] just hit the first triple-double in Big Ten Tournament history, so congratulations, my man. Congratulations to Coach Pikiell. I thought his kids, to have a whole new team and have the youngest team in high-major basketball, they played hard all year. He's a great, great coach. Just needs more support. Hopefully he'll get it. Onward for us. We already know who we play tomorrow night, and I'm already thinking about that. Happy to get the win.โ
on Donovan Dent approaching a triple-double
โNow I'm going to lie to him, for sure, so he'll keep rebounding. I'm going to tell him you need two for a triple-double, and he'll keep rebounding.โ
on Donovan Dentโs recent assist-turnover ratio
โIt was just, I've tried to hold him to a higher standard, which is what I do with all of my guys. Try to prepare them to be grown men. We try to prepare to play the best team on our schedule. That's what you've got to try to demand at all times. Just trying to raise his level as a man and as a player. Oscar Robertson said this years ago, you can't, you're not different on and off the floor, and he was too careless with the ball at New Mexico. Super talented obviously. Nobody with his talent should turn the ball over, period, way too talented. So, if he can be a more responsible person, he'll be a more responsible player. He'll be way more successful in playing professional basketball and in his life as well. I think that it's congruent.โ
on the value of having Donovan Dent
โHe can create offense for your team. I don't think I'd call ยญโ first of all, I give Coach Pikiell credit. Rutgers is always hard to play against since he's been their coach. They're physical. They've got fast guys. They're young, but they're strong and they're fast, and they're extremely well coached. That said, I don't think I'd call it a good game offensively tonight, but I've been trying to tell these guys, you can't โ if you have to score 80 to win, you're going to be going home early. That's anybody in the tournament, this tournament, and the next tournament. We didn't shoot it well tonight. There were a lot of wide-open shots. You thought we were going to blow it open late in the first half because you've watched us play and those guys knock those shots in, for people that usually watch us. Hopefully we saved some of them for tomorrow. Youโve got to be able to take defense on the road. Your jump shot doesn't always go on the road with you.โ
on being able to win without a prolific offense on Thursday night
โThey scored 59 points. Bob Huggins 101. You got to be able to win when you don't make shots. He got in the Hall of Fame that way. He taught me that. I think one time when I was on the bench with him, we won nine games in a row shooting under 40 percent, like the late '90s at Cincinnati. You've got to be able to win when you don't make shots. If not, you're an average team because you're not making them every game. I want to give Rutgers some credit now for our offense.โ
ย
on what has gone into the improved defense
โJust trying to do everything, I told you at one press conference, I'm constantly pushing, trying to push buttons. I've got a lot of buttons to push before 8:00 tomorrow night because they took us to the woodshed last time we played. I think our bench has helped. Guys know that, if you don't defend, you're coming out. I think that's reality. Just trying to get guys to realize that it's contagious both ways. It's not just defense, it's rebounding. We're standing watching the whole first half, and our guards changed the game with their offensive rebounding. So, I told them at halftime we need to be like Illinois. You know we're going to shoot. We can shoot. We spread the floor. When the guy's wide open, you should already be on the run for the rebound. Why are you standing there? What are you doing? I thought Donny [Dent] and Trent [Perry] really changed the game. We had five offensive rebounds to go from up six to up 15 in that stretch. I don't know for sure, but I think most of them were the guards.โ
on the impact UCLA has on the Big Ten
โOne thing we tell people with the recruiting piece, the travel is obviously harder, but your brand is going to be more nationwide, right? More people see us now, because in the old days you played Thursday, Saturday. They could only put one game on ESPN or Fox or whatever. Nobody had the Pac-12 Network anyway, it was the worst run thing in history. It was hard to see us nationally, and you're sleeping. Being in the Big Ten has helped our national exposure, and that helps our player. I think our university speaks for itself. It's worldwide. It's not just national, it's worldwide. So, for me, just being a part of our university, we're a small part of it. We're a great marketing part, and I think the university grew under Coach Wooden and surpassed a lot of the other UC schools in our system. The difference in our schools is athletics. That's what separates UCLA, and it's helped propel the rest of the university to being world class and ranked number one for many years in a row, as a public institution. But being in the Big Ten helps with that. Again, you're playing on six nights a week there's Big Ten games. So, we just get way more exposure. Just a lot more plane rides, my friend, and cold weather, which I'm not for. It was 90 degrees at my house today.โ
on the teamโs defensive effort
โLook, I thought in all fairness Tariq Francis in the first half missed some open looks. I told our guys in the first couple timeouts, we're getting lucky. He was 0-for-5. I think he had four great looks. Things we're not going to get away with tomorrow. The film will tell me if I'm right on that. Now, I thought early in the second half we were playing much better half-court defense, but we lost 13 a few times. Zrno, I believe you say his name โ he kept them in it. Scouting report and just commitment. We'll find out tomorrow how good our defense is, and if we win, we'll find out more Saturday. So, we'll see.โ
on coaching Donovan Dent this season
โI think once he realized that it was a fight he wasn't going to win, which I told him when I recruited him. There's only one person in charge. It's not a democracy, and you're going to take care of the ball, and you're talented enough. But I give him all the credit. He signed on for it. I don't think he understood what it was going to entail, but he's gotten so much better along the way. You guys are talking about that, and his numbers are unbelievable, but I need him to show leadership and defense, back to defense. Like we got Eric [Dailey Jr.], Trent [Perry], Tyler [Bilodeau], Donny, Skyy Clark is always after it, and I challenged Xavier Booker to block two shots tonight. You can't just play defense because I'm yelling at you. You guys want to win or you don't. You're tough enough to do hard things or we're going home. So, it's been Donny's defense as well. Like I said, if you dove on a floor, it might send a hell of a message to your teammates โ for a ball โ because it might send the other message if you don't. He's come a long way, folks, so we'll see. Big game tomorrow.โ
UCLA senior Donovan Dent
on if he was aware that he was approaching a triple-double
โI didn't know until the under four media timeout, and one of my teammates was like you've got to get one more rebound. I was hunting for it there at the end for sure. I was crashing for sure at the end, and it felt good to finally get it.โ
on what clicked for him with his performance
โWhen you have so many weapons on your offense, the game comes smoothly. My shots get open because I have such good teammates around me that they don't want to leave. They just make the game a lot easier for me, and it's a blessing.โ
on his offensive rebounding effort
โAt halftime, Coach was telling us we need more second chances because we were just getting one-shots, and it's hard to win games like that. Early in the second half I was just crashing. I was either in the corner, and Trent [Perry] was up top so he would get back. And we were just crashing โ Trent had a good offensive rebound as well. He got free throws out of it. We just flipped our mindset in the second half crashing with the offensive rebounds.โ
on his favorite play tonight
โDefinitely the one where Book [Xavier Booker] blocked it, and I threw it over my head. I don't know how it got to someone, but it did. We were just hustling, we changed our mindset on defense, so I'm just hustling for loose balls.โ
on the feeling of having the first triple-double in Big Ten tournament history
โIt's amazing. I didn't know until they told me on the broadcast. That's a great feeling.โ
on the teamโs defensive revitalization in recent weeks
โIt's just fun. Like we weren't hitting shots. We were in the huddle having great energy because we were playing so good on defense and just playing hard. It's a better game for us. When shots aren't falling, it's fine, just pick it up on the defensive side. I think we're doing a great job of that right now.โ
UCLA senior Tyler Bilodeau
on the team overcoming some offensive struggles tonight
โOffense missing shots and that type of stuff is going to happen. We've got to play defense, and we've got to rebound. Yeah, stay together and try to get what we want on offense. Eventually shots are going to fall for us.โ
on the teamโs defensive revitalization in recent weeks
โI mean, for sure. When we're all playing for each other, playing hard, Coach Cronin style defense, that's when we're successful. We've got to keep that up.โ
on his favorite part of being teammates with Donovan Dent
โOh, man, so many things. Just his ability to break down defense. It's so fun to watch. It makes my job pretty easy when he gets me some wide-open shots. It's just fun to see him slither around, get open, get in the paint, make great passes. Also, he's a great teammate. Shout out to Donny.โ
ย
UCLA 72, Rutgers 59
Big Ten Tournament (Third Round)
Chicago, Ill. (United Center)
March 12, 2026
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Menโs Head Basketball Coach
opening statement
โThey told me Donny [Dent] just hit the first triple-double in Big Ten Tournament history, so congratulations, my man. Congratulations to Coach Pikiell. I thought his kids, to have a whole new team and have the youngest team in high-major basketball, they played hard all year. He's a great, great coach. Just needs more support. Hopefully he'll get it. Onward for us. We already know who we play tomorrow night, and I'm already thinking about that. Happy to get the win.โ
on Donovan Dent approaching a triple-double
โNow I'm going to lie to him, for sure, so he'll keep rebounding. I'm going to tell him you need two for a triple-double, and he'll keep rebounding.โ
on Donovan Dentโs recent assist-turnover ratio
โIt was just, I've tried to hold him to a higher standard, which is what I do with all of my guys. Try to prepare them to be grown men. We try to prepare to play the best team on our schedule. That's what you've got to try to demand at all times. Just trying to raise his level as a man and as a player. Oscar Robertson said this years ago, you can't, you're not different on and off the floor, and he was too careless with the ball at New Mexico. Super talented obviously. Nobody with his talent should turn the ball over, period, way too talented. So, if he can be a more responsible person, he'll be a more responsible player. He'll be way more successful in playing professional basketball and in his life as well. I think that it's congruent.โ
on the value of having Donovan Dent
โHe can create offense for your team. I don't think I'd call ยญโ first of all, I give Coach Pikiell credit. Rutgers is always hard to play against since he's been their coach. They're physical. They've got fast guys. They're young, but they're strong and they're fast, and they're extremely well coached. That said, I don't think I'd call it a good game offensively tonight, but I've been trying to tell these guys, you can't โ if you have to score 80 to win, you're going to be going home early. That's anybody in the tournament, this tournament, and the next tournament. We didn't shoot it well tonight. There were a lot of wide-open shots. You thought we were going to blow it open late in the first half because you've watched us play and those guys knock those shots in, for people that usually watch us. Hopefully we saved some of them for tomorrow. Youโve got to be able to take defense on the road. Your jump shot doesn't always go on the road with you.โ
on being able to win without a prolific offense on Thursday night
โThey scored 59 points. Bob Huggins 101. You got to be able to win when you don't make shots. He got in the Hall of Fame that way. He taught me that. I think one time when I was on the bench with him, we won nine games in a row shooting under 40 percent, like the late '90s at Cincinnati. You've got to be able to win when you don't make shots. If not, you're an average team because you're not making them every game. I want to give Rutgers some credit now for our offense.โ
ย
on what has gone into the improved defense
โJust trying to do everything, I told you at one press conference, I'm constantly pushing, trying to push buttons. I've got a lot of buttons to push before 8:00 tomorrow night because they took us to the woodshed last time we played. I think our bench has helped. Guys know that, if you don't defend, you're coming out. I think that's reality. Just trying to get guys to realize that it's contagious both ways. It's not just defense, it's rebounding. We're standing watching the whole first half, and our guards changed the game with their offensive rebounding. So, I told them at halftime we need to be like Illinois. You know we're going to shoot. We can shoot. We spread the floor. When the guy's wide open, you should already be on the run for the rebound. Why are you standing there? What are you doing? I thought Donny [Dent] and Trent [Perry] really changed the game. We had five offensive rebounds to go from up six to up 15 in that stretch. I don't know for sure, but I think most of them were the guards.โ
on the impact UCLA has on the Big Ten
โOne thing we tell people with the recruiting piece, the travel is obviously harder, but your brand is going to be more nationwide, right? More people see us now, because in the old days you played Thursday, Saturday. They could only put one game on ESPN or Fox or whatever. Nobody had the Pac-12 Network anyway, it was the worst run thing in history. It was hard to see us nationally, and you're sleeping. Being in the Big Ten has helped our national exposure, and that helps our player. I think our university speaks for itself. It's worldwide. It's not just national, it's worldwide. So, for me, just being a part of our university, we're a small part of it. We're a great marketing part, and I think the university grew under Coach Wooden and surpassed a lot of the other UC schools in our system. The difference in our schools is athletics. That's what separates UCLA, and it's helped propel the rest of the university to being world class and ranked number one for many years in a row, as a public institution. But being in the Big Ten helps with that. Again, you're playing on six nights a week there's Big Ten games. So, we just get way more exposure. Just a lot more plane rides, my friend, and cold weather, which I'm not for. It was 90 degrees at my house today.โ
on the teamโs defensive effort
โLook, I thought in all fairness Tariq Francis in the first half missed some open looks. I told our guys in the first couple timeouts, we're getting lucky. He was 0-for-5. I think he had four great looks. Things we're not going to get away with tomorrow. The film will tell me if I'm right on that. Now, I thought early in the second half we were playing much better half-court defense, but we lost 13 a few times. Zrno, I believe you say his name โ he kept them in it. Scouting report and just commitment. We'll find out tomorrow how good our defense is, and if we win, we'll find out more Saturday. So, we'll see.โ
on coaching Donovan Dent this season
โI think once he realized that it was a fight he wasn't going to win, which I told him when I recruited him. There's only one person in charge. It's not a democracy, and you're going to take care of the ball, and you're talented enough. But I give him all the credit. He signed on for it. I don't think he understood what it was going to entail, but he's gotten so much better along the way. You guys are talking about that, and his numbers are unbelievable, but I need him to show leadership and defense, back to defense. Like we got Eric [Dailey Jr.], Trent [Perry], Tyler [Bilodeau], Donny, Skyy Clark is always after it, and I challenged Xavier Booker to block two shots tonight. You can't just play defense because I'm yelling at you. You guys want to win or you don't. You're tough enough to do hard things or we're going home. So, it's been Donny's defense as well. Like I said, if you dove on a floor, it might send a hell of a message to your teammates โ for a ball โ because it might send the other message if you don't. He's come a long way, folks, so we'll see. Big game tomorrow.โ
UCLA senior Donovan Dent
on if he was aware that he was approaching a triple-double
โI didn't know until the under four media timeout, and one of my teammates was like you've got to get one more rebound. I was hunting for it there at the end for sure. I was crashing for sure at the end, and it felt good to finally get it.โ
on what clicked for him with his performance
โWhen you have so many weapons on your offense, the game comes smoothly. My shots get open because I have such good teammates around me that they don't want to leave. They just make the game a lot easier for me, and it's a blessing.โ
on his offensive rebounding effort
โAt halftime, Coach was telling us we need more second chances because we were just getting one-shots, and it's hard to win games like that. Early in the second half I was just crashing. I was either in the corner, and Trent [Perry] was up top so he would get back. And we were just crashing โ Trent had a good offensive rebound as well. He got free throws out of it. We just flipped our mindset in the second half crashing with the offensive rebounds.โ
on his favorite play tonight
โDefinitely the one where Book [Xavier Booker] blocked it, and I threw it over my head. I don't know how it got to someone, but it did. We were just hustling, we changed our mindset on defense, so I'm just hustling for loose balls.โ
on the feeling of having the first triple-double in Big Ten tournament history
โIt's amazing. I didn't know until they told me on the broadcast. That's a great feeling.โ
on the teamโs defensive revitalization in recent weeks
โIt's just fun. Like we weren't hitting shots. We were in the huddle having great energy because we were playing so good on defense and just playing hard. It's a better game for us. When shots aren't falling, it's fine, just pick it up on the defensive side. I think we're doing a great job of that right now.โ
UCLA senior Tyler Bilodeau
on the team overcoming some offensive struggles tonight
โOffense missing shots and that type of stuff is going to happen. We've got to play defense, and we've got to rebound. Yeah, stay together and try to get what we want on offense. Eventually shots are going to fall for us.โ
on the teamโs defensive revitalization in recent weeks
โI mean, for sure. When we're all playing for each other, playing hard, Coach Cronin style defense, that's when we're successful. We've got to keep that up.โ
on his favorite part of being teammates with Donovan Dent
โOh, man, so many things. Just his ability to break down defense. It's so fun to watch. It makes my job pretty easy when he gets me some wide-open shots. It's just fun to see him slither around, get open, get in the paint, make great passes. Also, he's a great teammate. Shout out to Donny.โ
ย