Here are the ten best basketball victories of Mick Cronin at UCLA.
They are listed below in chronological order starting with the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
UCLA 72, No. 20 Colorado 68 (January 30, 2020): The Bruins defeated the Buffaloes at home to get Cronin’s first victory over a ranked opponent as the head coach of UCLA. Their win also got the Bruins above .500 and UCLA ended up defeating Colorado both times they played one another that season.
UCLA 65, Arizona 52 (February 8, 2020): UCLA defeated the top 25 ranked Wildcats on the road for Cronin’s first road win over a ranked opponent as the head coach of the Bruins. Cronin and UCLA beat the Wildcats both times they faced one another that year.
UCLA 69, Marquette 60 (December 11, 2020): This was Cronin’s first significant non-conference win as the leader of the Bruins. The win against the Golden Eagles was UCLA’s fifth straight win of the season.
UCLA 86, Michigan State 80 (March 18, 2021): The Bruins after losing four straight games defeated Michigan State in one of the First Four games of the NCAA Tournament. The game went into overtime and after they beat the Spartans, UCLA won their next two games to advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the tournament.
UCLA 88, Alabama 79 (March 28, 2021): The Bruins defeated the No. 2 seed Crimson Tide which was UCLA’s first trip to the Elite Eight since 2008. It was also Cronin’s first career Elite Eight appearance.
UCLA 51, Michigan 49 (March 30, 2021): UCLA beat No. 1 seed Michigan to reach their first Final Four for the first time since 2008 and they were the fifth No. 11 seed to reach the Final Four in NCAA tournament history. The Bruins would lose in the round of four to Gonzaga in overtime to end their Cinderella run in the tournament.
UCLA used the momentum from their Final Four run the previous season to do well in the 2021-22 season with Cronin leading the Bruins.
UCLA 86, Villanova 77 (November 12, 2021): UCLA defeated No. 4 ranked Villanova at Pauley Pavilion, marking the highest-ranked non-conference win for Cornin as the head coach of the Bruins.
UCLA 67, Marquette 56 (December 11, 2021): Cronin and his Bruins got another signature non-conference win as this one was unique because UCLA won on the road against a well-known opponent. This was also the second straight win against the Golden Eagles as well as UCLA defeated them last season as well. The win against Marquette was the Bruin’s eighth win of the season.
UCLA 75, Arizona 59 (January 25, 2022): UCLA defeated the No. 3 ranked Wildcats at home for a signature win for Cronin and the Bruins over a highly ranked in-conference opponent. The win gave UCLA a 14-2 overall record at the time of their win over Arizona.
UCLA 75, USC 68 (March 5, 2022): Cronin and UCLA defeated No. 16 ranked USC. The victory over the Trojans snapped a five-game losing skid against USC with this victory being the first win in the series since Feb. 28, 2019, for the Bruins over the Trojans. The win over USC was the first for Cronin as he and the Bruins had lost previous games against USC since he became the head coach of UCLA.
UCLA 69, USC 59 (March 11, 2022): The Bruins defeated the Trojans for a second straight time as Cronin and UCLA beat USC by double digits in the Pac-12 tournament semifinals game. The victory allowed the Bruins to advance and earn their first trip back to the Pac-12 title game since winning it back in 2014.
UCLA 72, St. Mary’s 56 (March 19, 2022): The Bruins defeated the Gaels and advanced to their second straight Sweet Sixteen appearance. Unfortunately, Cronin and UCLA would be upset by No. 8 seed North Carolina in their Sweet Sixteen match-up to end their season.
UCLA had an outstanding regular season for 2022-23 with some impressive victories over quality opponents.
UCLA 87, Maryland 60 (December 14. 2022): UCLA went on the road and beat No. 20 ranked Maryland by 27 points in an impressive non-conference game.
UCLA 63, Kentucky 53 (December 17, 2022): The Bruins defeated fellow blue blood program Kentucky on a neutral court in the CBS Sports Classic. This was UCLA’s second straight double-digit win over a power five team.
UCLA 60, USC 58 (January 5, 2023): UCLA had an 18-point lead in the second half and allowed crosstown rival Southern California to come back but the Bruins prevailed for their 11th straight win. It was also UCLA’s third straight victory over USC as well.
UCLA 74, Arizona State 62 (January 19, 2023): The Bruins defeated the Sun Devils in Tempe to get its 14th consecutive win, equaling the historical program’s longest winning streak since late into the 2007-08 season. UCLA was down five points at the half but came back and won by 12.
UCLA 70, Oregon 63 (February 11, 2023): The Bruins defeated the Ducks in Eugene and won in Eugene for the first time since 2019. UCLA with the victory has won 20-plus games for the third straight season under the leadership of Cronin.
UCLA 60, Colorado 56 (February 26, 2023): The Bruins defeated the Buffaloes in Boulder, and with the victory, UCLA earned the Pac-12 regular-season title. The Bruins were down by two at the half to Colorado but with a strong defensive effort in the second half, UCLA won a tough-fought game.
UCLA 70, Arizona 63 (March 4, 2023): The Bruins defeated the No. 8 ranked Wildcats to finish the regular season 17-0 at home at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA went undefeated at home for the first time since the 2006-07 season and with the win over Arizona, the Bruins had won 25 in a row at Pauley Pavilion which was the nation’s longest active home winning streak at the time.
UCLA 75, Oregon 56 (March 10, 2023): UCLA defeated Oregon in the Pac-12 Tournament to advance to the finals of the tournament. The win was the Bruins’ 12th consecutive victory with the win over the Ducks on a neutral court at T-Mobile Arena. UCLA with the win advanced to the Pac-12 Tournament’s title game for the second straight season.
UCLA 68, Northwestern 63 (March 18, 2023): The Bruins defeated the Wildcats and advanced to their third straight Sweet Sixteen appearance. However, Cronin and UCLA lost again to Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament in their Sweet Sixteen match-up to end their season.
Cronin is a two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year as he won the award in 2020 and 2023. His record as the head coach of UCLA overall is 99–36 and 57–19 in conference play. He has led the Bruins to three consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearances in the NCAA Tournament and helped UCLA win the Pac-12 regular season title this past season.
These are just a few of the many memorable victories that Mick Cronin has led the UCLA Bruins to over the past four seasons. He has quickly established himself as one of the top coaches in college basketball, and his teams seem to always be a contender for the Pac-12 title and even a national championship.