3 Takeaways from Mick Cronin's Presser

The Bruins would fall to Wisconsin 80-72, and now find themselves at the beginning of a losing streak.

This is not a Mick Cronin team, while technically yes, this team has severely lacked the attributes of the great teams Cronin has coached in the past. Something needs to change or this season could be over before March.

Injuries Played a Role

The Bruins entering this game did not have Skyy Clark, meaning it was next man up for UCLA. Unfortunately, this player would be Trent Perry, who would be injured during the game, leaving UCLA on its last leg. This ultimately was too much for the Bruins to handle.

"Trent gets hurt. Eric Franey's got to play 23 minutes tonight. Brandon Williams comes up with the stomach flu. I really wanted to see him. I don't know what would hit. He asked out, you see, after a minute and a half in the game, he asked out of the game. As well. He was our best player in practice yesterday. I wanted to see our lineup with him at full strength. So was the patchwork crew that we were fighting back with."
Mick Cronin

Offensive Struggles Affected the Defense

Jan 3, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) is defended by Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cooper Koch (8) during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

With Skyy Clark out with an injury offensively, the Bruins were already at a huge disadvantage. This would, in turn, directly impact the defense as it is demoralizing to go 1/17 from the three-point line. Overall, this game was a perfect storm for the Bruins to struggle.

"Defensively our offensive struggles were so bad that it had our heads messed up on the other end. and we weren't able to keep Boyd out of the lane. So therefore, he shot 10 free throws, and he had five easy assists. Some of those were for threes."
Mick Cronin

Defensive Struggles Contributed to Slow Start

Mick Cronin] — Jan 3, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts during the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

A recurring issue in UCLA’s losses this season has been its slow starts, and the trend continued against Wisconsin. The Bruins fell behind by as many as 20 points with nine minutes remaining in the first half, a deficit Mick Cronin largely attributed to defensive breakdowns.

"And when you give away 15 to 20 points, whether it was late, because we just didn't get back and get matched up and just simple stuff. You can't win. Like, it's literally like saying, 'All right, Wisconsin's up 20. Now let's tip it off and try to beat them.' Yeah. Like, you're just giving those points away. Right. And you see what happens when we get back, get matched up, play solid D, you get stopped."
Mick Cronin

Dec 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts on the sidelines in the first half against the UC Riverside Highlanders at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Overall not a good game for the Bruins, hopefully they are able to make the proper adjustment moving forward, as it has become mandatory following this loss.

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