What Mick Cronin Said After UCLA's Flat Win Against Pepperdine

The No. 12 UCLA Bruins (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten) are still struggling to hit their stride early in the season after an unconvincing 74-63 win against the Pepperdine Waves.

Head coach Mick Cronin is still trying to find what his squad is missing through two games of the season. Following their season-opening win against Eastern Washington, Cronin ripped off a vintage rant on his team's effort and how he didn't prepare them enough.

Fast-forward to Friday, and the Bruins came out flat yet again.

Below is a transcript of Cronin's full postgame, where he touched on Xavier Booker's stellar outing and the shortcomings on the defensive boards and shooting on the perimeter.

Mick Cronin's Postgame

Oct 9, 2025; Rosemont, IL, USA; UCLA head coach Mick Cronin speaks during Big Ten Men’s Basketball Media Days at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images | Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

Opening Statement

“I felt we got a lot better tonight, thanks to Pepperdine. They got some big strong guys who are well coached. It was good to get Eric Dailey back out there. Obviously, it goes without saying that Xavier Booker is the MVP of the game. Our guards are a lot better than they played tonight. I don’t worry about their talent level. I'm really happy to see the way Xavier Booker played. I know he's got it in him but he's just got to keep building up his stamina and turn up his motor. “

On Xavier Booker

“He was the biggest factor in the game and everybody in the arena will tell you that.”

ucl — Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins center Xavier Booker (1) looks to shoot the ball against Pepperdine Waves forward Danilo Dozic (35) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

On Subbing Out Tyler Bilodeau 26 Seconds Into the Game

“He fouled, so it was strategic. I didn’t want him to get a second foul. I wanted to pick up our intensity defensively, and I told him [Bilodeau] not to do it, and I knew he was going to do it. Tyler doesn’t have a filter, he just goes one way. He means well and is a great kid. It was a complete strategy, if he gets a foul at 19:30, then I leave him, he gets a foul at 17:00, so now he's out the rest of the half.”

On Eric Dailey Jr.'s return, athleticism and his position change

“Just having him out there with his presence and attitude, he brings out a lot. You got to have a guy that shows up every day with a smile, a love for the game, and practices hard. He goes full speed and lifts everybody around him. We’ve missed him for that reason. I knew I played him more minutes then I wanted to, so that's the reason he didn't play late. It was great having him back. Are you kidding me?”

Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Eric Dailey Jr. (3) is greeted by forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) and guard Trent Perry (0) during the first half against the Pepperdine Waves at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

“Yes, with his toughness and size. Look how strong he is. The other piece of it is, you have to remember he is playing the three this year, and he’s been out for a month, so he hasn’t been able to have live practice at that position. It’s still going to be a work in progress for him. When they went zone today, he hadn’t played the wing in our zone offense other than a walk through today. He’s going to get better as time goes on and he gets minutes. With the position switch for him, it's a tough spot for him to miss this October.”

On Trent Perry's staunch production off the bench this season

“He’s getting better with him, letting the game come to him. Playing off his shot and shot fake, making the easy pass, and he’s getting better defensively. He’s getting better everyday and that’s why I did not want him to transfer. He belongs here and is a UCLA student who could have got in here without athletics. He belongs here from a student standpoint. He’s a great player from around here. If anyone belongs here on this team, that represents what UCLA is about academically and the kind of person he is then it's him [Trent].”

ucl — Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) goes to the basket between Pepperdine Waves forward Yonatan Levy (13) and forward Javon Cooley (23) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

More on Xavier Booker's effort

“I’ve learned he’s extremely intelligent and I’m not talking about books, I'm talking about basketball. He’s also got a huge advantage, he played two years under Tom Izzo. He was getting taught by a Hall of Fame coach.”

The Bruins may need to start getting their act together. Following one more tune-up game against West Georgia, UCLA takes on No. 13 Arizona (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) which already defeated No. 3 Florida this season.

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