With the hiring of Mick Cronin as the next UCLA basketball coach, Go Joe Bruin gives you five reasons to get excited as he will have immediate success in Westwood.
UCLA finally has a coach! All hail, Mick Cronin, the 14th head coach of the UCLA basketball program. Now that there is a replacement for Steve Alford, the Bruins can move forward into a new era.
RELATED: UCLA hires Mick Cronin
Though this hire has brought both excitement and “meh” from the fan base, I am here to give you five reasons Cronin will find instant success at UCLA.
1. Philosophy and Style
Some of you might recall a game the Bruins played at Cincinnati back in December. UCLA lost one of the worst games in the Steve Alford era by a score of 93-64. That was in large part due to the Cincinnati Bearcats, which was coached by Mick Cronin, suffocating the life out of the Bruins who shot 40.4% from the field.
That is what he will bring to Westwood, toughness, physicality, and defense. UCLA has not been known for their defensive prowess in the last six seasons and that is about to change.
UCLA has a lot of athletic players which Cronin will develop on both ends of the floor. On defense, they will play tighter rather than play two to three feet off the ball. They will also work in multiple defensive sets rather than just the 2-3 zone.
On offense, the Bruins will be on the attack. Not only will Cronin expect this team to penetrate the lane (with this group, it should not be a problem), but they will also rely on outside shooting (David Singleton and Jake Kyman, you’re up). The point is, expect a tougher, grittier UCLA basketball team.