The UCLA men's basketball team enjoyed a bit of a resurgence this year after missing the NCAA Tournament last season.
Head coach Mick Cronin did take the Bruins to the Final Four in 2021 and then to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in the following years. However, the program has been a bit stagnant in the last two years and some could argue that they are moving in the wrong direction.
UCLA fans are getting tired of Mick Cronin's stagnation after second-round exit
UCLA won in the first round of March Madness convincingly, taking down the Mountain West Conference's Utah State by 25 points. However, when the rubber met the road against No. 2 seed Tennessee in the Round of 32, the Bruins looked like a rudderless ship.
While the final score did not look too lopsided, the Volunteers led by as many as 19 during the game, and UCLA completely fell apart in the second half. Cronin had no answers for Tennessee, who, granted, were the superior opponent, but the team's effort down the stretch left something to be desired as well.
To make matters worse, Cronin was a bit snippy with the media in his post-game press conference, which rubbed several fans the wrong way. After complaining last season about how young his team was, Cronin was equipped with plenty of NIL money and transfers this season, but still came up short.
It was widely believed that this Bruins team was going to compete for a Big Ten Championship and return to at least the Sweet 16, but after earning a No. 7 seed due to a fourth-place finish in their conference, UCLA was bounced in the second round.
Cronin still has job security with the program but fans and the athletic department will sour on him if he does not start showing drastic signs of improvement next season.