WATCH: Mick Cronin on UCLA's Tough Nonconference Slate, Peyton Watson's Development
UCLA men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin talks to the media about the ESPN College GameDay experience, the Bruins’ upcoming star-studded nonconference schedule and the development of freshman Peyton Watson.
MICK CRONIN
College GameDay experience?
Well I just think, anytime that – in athletics, our general job is to be a window for the world, and in most cases, for the rest of the country, to see your university. That's part of the point, we're a marketing arm for our university. So anytime you have – that's how I look at my job, at least. People bring up UCLA basketball or UCLA Athletics, it's a window into the university. So any time you can have more people on your campus, we can do our job to shed a light on our university, it's great. Our team in particular, just an opportunity for them to have fun, something to do Saturday morning to have some fun. That's it, it's all good for them. They've earned it, they've earned it, so I just wanted them to have fun with it. I wanted them on TV, you guys get enough of me and I get enough of you, so it's good for them.
Chance to taste the Fat Tyger yet?
As you can see, I've been trying to get in shape, so I have stayed away from the Fat Tyger because I don't want to look like the fat coach. I did go over the ingredients, and Tyger, we have had Fat Tygers for the guys. So I'd say the Fat Tyger probably should be trailed by the ambulance, or at least the number to the cardiologist, my buddy Dr. Shemin, he is the best cardiologist in the nation at UCLA Medical. Yeah, let me know, I got his number, hopefully none of us need him.
Maybe with a pillow and a blanket?
Pillow and a blanket or an ambulance, straight to UCLA cardiology, man, like 2500 calories.
How many ingredients did you approve?
None. They're approved for young people that burn calories.
PEYTON WATSON MOST RECENT JUMP, STILL MAKING IMPROVEMENT?
Every day. And I don’t think it will stop for Peyton. And again, to me, in my mind, Johnny was a freshman last year without an off-season, the same as Jaylen Clark, so we were a young team that went through losses of players. I try to caution people all the time as we do these every week the rest of the year; who you are one week does not mean that’s who you’re going to be. You know, and I get it, I root for teams as well and watch them play and ‘ah, they’re not going to be any good.’ Let’s wait and see, you get better—especially when you’re younger, so in Peyton’s case, it’s just a matter of him getting up to speed on, he’s gained at least 20 pounds, I would say—you can ask him—but he’s close to 210, so he’s more explosive, he’s able to hold his ground more, his knowledge. You’re talking about a kid that didn’t get a senior year in high school either, but he does things every day in practice that you just don’t see other people do, like the other day he had eight assists, one turnover, and he also had like four blocked shots that like three of them—usually, as a coach you’re standing there and you can see things coming and you don’t see that every day, so he can get beat and recover and make plays other guys can’t in college basketball, which is why he is where he is on every draft board and should be, and his attitude’s great, he lets me coach him, so that helps. He can deal with me getting upset and he plays harder for it, so your rate of improvement is when you have aptitude and you can apply what you’re being taught quickly, it speeds up your rate of improvement, so he’s a really intelligent kid, he’s got tremendous aptitude, so when you teach him things, he applies them quickly, which has definitely sped up his rate of improvement, but the first game will be different than practices, so I would just expect him to get better as the season went on.
Ever wonder if recruits are going to take well to your coaching when they arrive? Peyton and Myles adjusting well?
Oh, they’ve been awesome. Myles, it’s been fun for him because he’s been included more offensively here, especially in workouts. We spend a lot of time in individual workouts trying to—I think that’s been the difference for him, us trying to force him to get better on offense, not just accepting he’s a defender, and he’s enjoyed that. So as far as coaching, I think the fact that you had to ask me that is a sad testament to where the world is today, that if you actually are going to coach somebody and help them get better, that can somebody deal with that, is really a sad testament that we’re even at a point—and I know why you asked me, trust me, I get it, but it’s really a sad testament. The answer is, I want guys that are humble enough to realize that they do need to improve no matter how many people on the summer scene told them they were a pro. Even if you are, the great Kobe Bryant, he improved throughout his career and he was who he was because he was smart enough to know that he could get better and he wanted people to get him better, so guys that don’t feel that way, they’re not really on our recruiting list.
How will Watson contribute on offense?
Points, assists, offensive rebounds. Is there another offensive statistic?
No turnovers?
He had eight to one the other day. The thing about Peyton offensively, he handles the ball like a point guard and he has vision, so when he gets in the paint he’s a problem because he can see the whole court with his size and it just makes your offense better. Obviously, he can really finish but if you over-help, not only does he see open people [but] with his size he can get it to them a lot like a Lonzo Ball could, having played against him [while at Cincinnati]. Guys with that kind of size and vision are a problem for defenses, and he continues to improve his shooting, which is something we obviously spend a lot of time on with him.
Explosiveness at a different level than with other guys?
Yeah, his ability to get up quick with his length makes him a shot-blocker on the wing. He blocked some shots the other day, it was impressive. I think the biggest thing for him—any freshman, though—no matter how much talent you have is, you’ve never had to practice this hard or play this hard every day, and that’s the adjustment—going hard all the time and paying attention all the time, the physicality’s nonstop, so once you get there, the fact that you have elite, pro talent can consistently take over, but until you can get your intensity, practice speed, game speed, your mental focus—because they just never have been challenged in those areas until they get to this level—but that’s why I say he’s really improved in those areas, being able to practice the whole time at the full speed, pay attention all the time, deal with physicality, those three things, that’s why I said he’ll get better as the year goes on because he won’t be tired, he won’t get beat up, he’ll know he’s going to get pushed and used to paying attention all the time. You know, as he get to that point—those are just weaknesses for all freshmen, but as he eliminates those and it’s just a matter of raw ability, he’s got plenty.
Feel like forever since fans in Pauley?
It still does. A year and a half.
GameDay get you more excited for home games with fans?
Yeah, you know, last year, I think it helped us when we got to Indianapolis just that there were some fans there. I think it helped all the Pac-12 teams because we were all used to playing in empty arenas. I think there was a level of excitement for our players—it was like, oh my gosh, there’s people cheering. But we didn’t even have cheerleaders, they were piping in fake ambient noise, you know, it’s like doing the best you can, but again, for the kids, for all of us, because it’s, you don’t ever want to have to fight through that again; that was rough. It was better than not playing for these guys, their window of opportunity’s not huge, but not even close to the same. I’m sure our guys their excitement level’s tremendous on that, I’m sure they will tell you that.
Toughest nonconference schedule you've ever had?
I don’t know, tough to say, I don’t really look back. I’m like blinkers on going forward, like a few of my horses—only a few go backwards. I would say, at the end of the day, I just speak to UCLA, your goal is to get the program, like I told you guys, back to where we’re at and part of that, if you were at UCLA, you’ve got to recruit guys that want to play these games. You know, anybody who comes to coach here or play here understands expectations are part of it, but you’re running toward it, like, our guys, they want to play Villanova, heck, they want to scrimmage a great team—not that I can talk about it, but they want all that stuff. That’s a part of being here, so that won’t change for us. I don’t know if it’s different than it’s been a lot.
Usually UCLA would play one good nonconference game, not three
I do know we’re working on it for next year, the hardest part of scheduling—people on the outside don’t realize is, somebody else has to agree. You can’t just say, ‘Hey, guess what, you know, I want to play Team x and call them and they agree. You know, they’ve got to have openings, they have to feel like it’s equitable, it makes sense, it depends on their schedule and who’s going to start at home, are you going to play home and home, who’s going to be away first, so we’re working on it for next year because obviously Marquette rotates off for us; we have a gap in our Villanova so we don’t return for two years, like, that’s how we wanted to make that work, they wanted a gap year, so it’s complicated.
How much do relationships with other coaches play into scheduling those games?
Sometimes. That helps. But again, it’s got to make sense with what’s happening and it may get tougher as the leagues are all going to 20-game schedules and you have Big Ten teams that have the ACC Challenge, they have the Gavitt Challenge, so they have 22 built in. You’ve got to pay the bills for your university, so you’ve got to have 19 or so home games, so you’ve got to buy some wins and that doesn’t leave many [games], especially when you’re in a multi-team event, so it’s tough and again, you’re trying to match up how good your team’s going to be, which is even tougher with the transfers. Guys are scared to death because you can schedule it and the other guy gets seven transfers like Texas and you think, well, maybe they’re going to be rebuilding in 21-22 and all of a sudden they get seven transfers and it didn’t work out, so a lot of coaches likes to wait to the spring to work on stuff like that, so scheduling is 1 and 1A with recruiting in importance to the program, but it’s just as hard. I know that’s hard [to imagine]—how can scheduling be that hard? It’s that hard.
Is your horse...
No, no, no, no, no. Don’t even say it.
Kentucky Derby?
No, gosh, no. The one you’re talking about that won the other day?
Yeah
No. I wish.
Are there tons of levels of ability?
Oh, yeah. Yes. Absolutely.
Afraid of Ben jinxing it?
No. She’s a nice little horse and that’s it. Trust me. I would tell you.
How many horses total?
Too many. But I have partners.
Bruin Magic?
Bruin Magic is yet to run. Let’s hope he runs someday. It’s something for fun but that’s it. It’s not the most economical decision I’ve ever made, I can assure you of that.
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