Cronin Expresses Concerns Following Bruins' Road Defeat

Following the UCLA Bruins' road loss to Illinois on Tuesday night, Coach Mick Cronin expressed his disappointment with his team's defensive ability and the continued travel schedule that plagues his team's preparation.

Feb 11, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (18-7, 9-5) fell just short of an incredible comeback on the road Tuesday night, as they snapped their seven-game win streak with a loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini (17-8, 9-6). Coach Mick Cronin voiced his opinions postgame on how he felt his team performed.

The Bruins entered the contest as the Big Ten's No. 1 defense, allowing just over 64 points per game. They gave up 83 points, nearly a full 20 points above their average. It was a mix of hot shooting from the Illini and, as Cronin mentioned, uncharacteristic defensive struggles and little preparation.

"Look, we got exposed defensively tonight and different guys not being able to guard the ball and stay in front of the ball," Cronin said. "You saw the game; that was my biggest concern. Obviously, we didn't have a lot of prep time, [we] played Saturday, it's Tuesday. We had to travel across the country, so that was a huge concern. Now, it's not an excuse; we had time, but I know that this was a tough matchup for some of our personnel, and I don't want to name names."

Once again, UCLA had to pivot from a blowout win over Penn State on Saturday afternoon to playing just two days later, roughly 2,000 miles from Los Angeles. Cronin did not use it as an excuse but made it known that the travel schedule for these West Coast conference teams is out of hand.

Regardless of the travel, the Illini came to play. It made 11 three-pointers and shot a total of 50.9% from the field and made 18 out of 20 free-throw attempts. Illinois simply did not miss for over half the game and was able to suffer a late comeback from the Bruins and still pull out the win.

The Bruins had a tough time guarding projected lottery pick, freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis, who had 24 points to lead the Illini. Their 7-1 center, Tomislav Ivisic made an impressive four triples, leaving many Bruin players clueless on how to approach both guys defensively.

UCLA will look to split its two-game road trip as it prepares for a hostile environment when it meets the Indiana Hoosiers (15-10, 6-8) on Friday night. The Hoosiers recently snapped a five-game skid with a win over No. 11 Michigan State on Tuesday and will seek to make it two straight.

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