Mick Cronin Dives Into Details Following UCLA's Win Over UCF

UCLA has officially clinched its ticket to the second round of March Madness following a 75-71 win over No. 11 seed UCF.

The Bruins had almost every uncontrollable factor against them entering this game. Location, injuries, and size differences. Still, through it all, the Bruins were able to put together a very solid win over a very good UCF team. Up next, UCLA will face No. 2 seed UConn in the Round of 32.

How UCLA's Frontcourt Filled in Bilodeau's Void

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins center Xavier Booker (1) dunks the ball against the UCF Knights in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Without Tyler Bilodeau, the Bruins needed to fill his scoring void quickly. Several players definitely stepped up, some more than others, but in the end, UCLA did exactly what it needed to do without its best player. Xavier Booker and Eric Dailey Jr. would combine for 35 points. Not bad.

"Eric [Dailey Jr] , you know, Eric's a super confident kid. He gives us the toughness we need. But the key was Xavier Booker's play. You gotta make up Tyler. I mean, he [Bilodeau] averages 18 a game. Book had 15 tonight. So, Book had 15. Steve [Jamerson] had two. So, we got 17 out of that position"
Mick Cronin

Factors that Prevent a Clean Win

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) reacts after having his tooth knocked out against the UCF Knights in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Bruins appeared to have this game in hand with 15 minutes left in the second half, when they built their largest lead of the night at 14 points. Many thought UCLA was about to blow the game wide open, but it ultimately got far too close for comfort. Mick Cronin later explained the miscues that allowed UCF to climb back into it.

"We didn't execute late. You know, the game plan. Mathematically, if under two minutes, if you're up eight or more, you can't lose if you don't give up threes. If you do two things— no threes, don't turn it over. It's literally like a 1% chance you could lose. And we failed that miserably. You know, a contested three is still a three. You know, so especially with the guy that was hitting them,[Jordan] Burks. So, we got to do a better job with that. Plus, it's March, man. Crazy stuff happens."
Cronin

Status on Tyler Bilodeau

Entering this game, the status of Bilodeau was still up in the air. Even UCLA’s players thought he was green-lit to play against UCF, but a game-time decision ultimately left the Bruins without their best player. Here is what Mick Cronin said on Bilodeau's return timeline.

"Before you guys ask, he [Tyler Bilodeau] had a good practice yesterday. He woke up stiff today. I didn't like the way he was moving and shoot around this morning. He wanted to play, and I said no. If you want to know why I said no, then you should probably never coach. You got to be responsible for the people underneath you and try to do the right thing...I'm not going to put that kid in harm's way. Hopefully he has a good day tomorrow before you ask. We'll see how he is on Sunday."
Cronin