Three Takeaways From Mick Cronin's Presser vs Arizona State

The Bruins would squeak out a win against a decent ASU team, winning 90-77.

UCLA would have a very strong offensive outing against ASU, a team that was entering this matchup 9-2. The Bruins would also have their best offensive performance of the season, scoring 90. Here is what Mick Cronin had to say about the game.

Defensive Struggles Continue

Dec 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils guard Anthony Johnson (2) drives past UCLA Bruins forward Steven Jamerson II (24) for a basket in the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Bruins offensive showing really covered up some of the rough defense tonight. A big reason why ASU was still in the game towards the end of the second half was due to have effective they were in the paint. Moving forward this cannot happen. Here is what Cronin had to say:

We gotta get better defensively. Can't give up 36 paint points, 18 layups, so to speak, a couple of those were post-ups. Can't give up 51 on paint and free throws combined. Cannot do that. We got away with it tonight because we scored 90.
Mick Cronin

Skyy Clark's Great Shooting Performance

Skyy Clark has emerged as the Bruins' No. 2 scoring option behind Bilodeau, and for good reason, too. He shot 6-for-10 from three tonight, and many of those came in big moments to sway the momentum for the Bruins. Clark seems to be getting better every single game. What Cronin had to say about him:

He's a great kid, he's unselfish. But we gotta find a way to continue to make sure we';re getting shots more, to be honest with you. I mean, right now he's shooting over 50% with a lot of attempts. I mean, that's gotta be top 5, 10 in the country. It's gotta be.
Mick Cronin on Skyy Clark

Cronin Speaks Highly of Brandon Williams

Brandon Williams, while playing off the bench this season, has been a very impactful piece. There is even an argument that UCLA would have won against Gonzaga if he hadn't gone down with an injury. He only had five points in 20 minutes in this one, but his defensive impact is undeniable.

Mick Cronin spoke very highly of him and could have even hinted at Williams finding himself in the starting rotation. With Xavier Booker struggling as of late, Williams finds himself as a contender to steal his job. Here is what Cronin had to say:

He does what I tell him to do. It's a great thing for young kids out there. He does what I tell him to do, and he does it with toughness. And then nothing— it's amazing how important that is. That you will play if you're athletic and you got size, okay, you got a little bit of talent.

You'll do what the coach tells you. He'll play you over guys with more talent that won't do what they tell him. And on this team, we got enough talent. We need somebody. To be Spartacus.
Mick Cronin on Brandon Williams

Great game from the Bruins, however, it is clear that UCLA still has ways to go until their defense is where Cronin wants it to be. It will be interesting to see how the Bruins will fix this issue in the future.

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