Yet again the time has come for UCLA players to get some ‘tough love’ from coach Mick Cronin. His criticism came down on his UCLA Bruins after they suffered a high-margin loss of 75-94 against Michigan Wolverines. After the force of Vladislav Goldin battered UCLA, let’s hear what Cronin had to say about his team.

“We’re soft,” Cronin said. The coach, known for his intense leading methods and passionate coaching style, holds his team accountable without hesitating. He did not limit his disappointment to his players. “I am upset with everyone in that locker room, my assistant coaches and my players,”  he added. UCLA let Vladislav Goldin reach a career-high 36 points. At one point during the first half, he was outscoring UCLA by himself.

“It’s really hard to coach people that are delusional-the hungry dog gets the bone”, said Cronin. The head coach implied that the UCLA players do not seem to understand what it takes to get wins. “It’s crazy, you know.” UCLA has suffered its second consecutive loss and fifth overall loss of the season.

Mick Cronin went on to say that the team does not meet his expectations in terms of energy or passion. “It’s every day. I have the most energy of anybody at practice,” he added. The Wolverines were able to shoot 54 percent (15-28) from 3-point range, with Donaldson scoring six of them. The Bruins managed to miss all nine of their 3-pointers in the first half and finished 2 of 20.

Fans have responded to Cronin’s criticism of the current UCLA roster. Let’s say what they had to say about this.

Fans question the accountability of Cronin’s players

“These kids get paid now, they need to be called out if they’re not performing…It’s part of the job now” posted a fan on the platform X while reacting to Cronin’s post-game interview. The Bruins have disappointed fans in back-to-back Big Ten games. The recent one raises more concerns because Michigan jumped out to a 13-2 lead less than five minutes into the game.

“Now this is how you call your players out” reacted another fan on X.. Fans seem to like Cronin’s approach of holding his players accountable instead of creating a false facade in front of the world. “I just became a massive fan of coach!.. Call them out like professionals,” a fan responded.

“He’s not wrong and I respect him more for saying this. Basketball is filled with a bunch of soft players that wouldn’t survive the 80’s and 90’s playing basketball” added another fan appreciating Cronin. UCLA just had a challenging December schedule against Oregon, Arizona, North Carolina, and Gonzaga. A loss by such a margin has raised concerns among fans after the standard of performance set last month. 

It’s safe to say that fans put their trust in Mick Cronin and his coaching methods. The two-time Pac-12 coach of the year has led UCLA to two appearances in the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 in addition to that Final Four run in 2021. “The players don’t deserve Mick Cronin” added another fan sharing disappointment over the lack of results despite Cronin’s best efforts.

“I know we’re not soft,” Eric Dailey Jr said. “Right now, we gotta show [Cronin] that we’re tough. So it’s our mission, to fight.”, He shared. UCLA is about to play at Maryland in the opener of a two-game Eastern trip. Let’s see how they hold up to Cronin’s expectations on Friday.