POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 114, North Florida 63
Friday, Nov. 6, 2026
Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial)

UCLA’s Mick Cronin
The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
opening statement
“Human nature to get complacent when everybody’s telling you how good you are. We were good against Arizona because, and Coach Lloyd said the same thing, we won rebounding. We won loose balls. We won the turnover battle. We have more deflections than them. And that's why you win when good teams play each other. We play again, if that changes, they'll win. Tonight, we had six deflections in the first eight minutes, and at the 12-minute mark, I think we were losing. From that point on, we had 45 deflections. We had 26 deflections, disrupting their offense, in the last 12 minutes of the half. And then the game changes. Obviously, Nikola got hot offensively, which probably rattled them. I know it would rattle me if I was watching that. But that's really the story of the game. That time was coming for him. We see it all the time, so it's just a matter of when.”

on refocusing after the first eight minutes of the first half
“That's how practice works. Just human nature, man. Human nature. I told the guys, I'm at home last night. I have no life, and I really don't want to do anything but hang out with my dog anyway. But I knew Arizona would come out ready to play last night because they lost. Coach Lloyd wasn't gonna have to worry about motivating his guys. We were sloppier. Eric [Dailey Jr.] and Trent [Perry] will tell you. They were way better than they played early on. I think I had us down, by the 12 minute mark, we had eight missed baskets within a foot of the rim. Sloppy, not playing with strategy, no two hands, no two feet, thinking it's going to be easy.”

on Nikola Kusturica’s 29-point effort
“It's recruiting, buddy. Matt Painters, one of the best people in our business, and one of the best coaches in our business. But, Braden Smith ain't running out of that tunnel. So, he's a great player, man. He's a great player, not a good player. He's a great player. Because he does everything on the court. What I would tell you is he had no turnovers with the ball in his hands all that time. Which is, you know, for freshman, is unheard of. He's just wise beyond his years.”

on Joe Philon III’s effort in the second half
“Joe shoots layups and wide open threes. So he's just going to shoot a high percentage. And if most young players out there would only shoot wide open shots and layups, they would shoot a high percentage. But everybody else tells them the wrong stuff. You know, they got them working on step backs. The difference is, Joe's dad played, and he coaches. So, Joe's dad, I mean, I haven't asked him, but I would hazard a guess, he’s never worked with him on a step back. Like all these other kids and their trainers. Joe works on finishing, cutting, making open shots. That's why he’s such a valuable, valuable player. Basketball is the hardest sport to coach, because your players have to play offense and defense. The biggest problem in basketball is too many players think they're the quarterback, when they’re the wide receiver. And their parents want them to be the quarterback. And you can make the NBA being a wide receiver, because you're a great one. But in basketball, it's hard, and the guys that make it, they play to their strengths, and they're smart, and they're stars, and it’s what they do.”

on if he’s coached anyone in the past like Nikola Kusturica
“I would go him and Joe [Philon III], because they're both freshmen. No, I haven't coached freshman with defend like that. Now, I've started a lot of them, Lance Stevenson, Jaime [Jaquez Jr.] started every game, Tyger [Campbell] started every game, and, you know, Amari [Bailey] started every game, Adem [Bona] started every game. Most freshmen turn it over, and can't guard anyone, because their high school coach couldn't make them, because they're worried about, in this era, some prep school is going to buy them. Or it's just good coaching, telling them not to foul. Because the rest of his guys look like they're on the intermural team, and he's got one Division I player. So, you don't ever foul. And the guys they're guarding in high school are walking around on our campus right now. They're playing at Hitch outside, right? So, they’ve never had to guard real plays, real actions, real guys that can play. So, they don't turn it over and they can defend, which is unheard of. Sometimes it takes a guy until he's a junior to be able to do those two things at a high-level basketball game. So, I will go with both of them, because they both, don't turn it over, and they both defend, and they both rebound, which is just really rare. So, like I said, give my staff credit. They did a great job finding the right guys.”

on the new fan courtside seats
“I think a lot of people have those. I can care less. They switched out on me because I told you, there was 2 kids in the first half, and they had M&M's. And we got up 30, I said, I want some M&M's in the second half. I mean, that guy was just crushing them. I said, look, are they that good? He goes 
they’re really good”. I said, “Can I get some in the second half?” I come out, he's gone. They switched them out. I don't know what happened. No, I could care less.”

on his team’s collective defensive mindset
“Well, you know, it's easy to talk about it. I think all coaches talk about it. Here, we try to be about it, you don't defend, you don't play. But I don't have to really do that with these guys because again, my staff has done a great job recruiting the guys with the right attitude. And they're tough. See, guys that don’t defend, they're soft. Like, you sit there, you know, somebody says, “So, I’ve got to score and defend?” Yeah, yeah, yeah, you do. They make millions of dollars. The truth is, you're too lazy to defend, or you’re soft. Guys that don't defend, that's just the truth. So, the staff has done a good job of recruiting competitive guys that are tough. And then the coaching becomes easy. That's just strategy, which we still got to get better at, because we had guys going right, and now all they can do is go right. We let 21 go left, and you know, I think it's Bill Walton's birthday today, so, rest in peace. The guy will still be left handed tomorrow, 21 when he wakes up.”

UCLA forward Nikola Kusturica
on his mentality during his scoring stretch in the first half
“Nothing, to be honest, just good playing. I mean, shot after shot, like, I just shot it. I just kept shooting. I see the ball go in and I just kept shooting.”

on what his first made basket did for his confidence
“Just seeing the ball going in helps like the confidence a lot. So, like, when I saw the first one go in, I was completely relieved.”

on what his first made basket did for his confidence
“We just stayed together, as I said, I think we’re a really good group. We just stayed together and keep each other heads up and stay together no matter what. Like before the Arizona game we said, ‘No matter what happens we’re gonna stay together and we're gonna try to build our lead back up if we’re down and if we’re up, we just wanna keep going.”

on how some of the older players have mentored the freshmen
“When I came here, I was struggling a lot, just adjusting to the college game. Eric [Dailey Jr.] especially, he helped me a lot, just started overcome the things, that I was facing. Trent [Perry] also but Erir especially. First couple of weeks for me have been tough, just adjusting to coaches, Cronin's system and just like the game. The guys helped me a lot like, for real, especially this guy and Trent also. And in a good way, like, they're not like screaming at you or whatever, like, they'll come to you and tell you what you gotta do and I really appreciate that.”

UCLA forward Eric Dailey Jr.
on his drives to the basket
“Yeah, it’s something I'm still working on. good. I mean, just finding gaps. Learning how to not drive in tight spaces, learning how to play off two feet. I missed a lot today, but, it's just something I'm still learning and still working on as a player. It only can get better and, I feel like coach is more concerned about my rebounds anyway.”

on Nikola Kusturica’s performance
“I felt that when that first shot went in, I was like, oh yeah, he might have a night. He shot the next one. And I was like – Oh. Then he got those fast breaks, and I was like, yeah, this is great. This is a great game for him. This is a great game to get his confidence up. And that's what we need. I mean, we need that from everybody, you know, and tonight was his night, and that was really good. I mean, I wish he would have got fouled one more time to get the 30-ball, that would have been elite. But that was a great performance for him and I'm very proud of for sure.”

on Coach Cronin’s coaching style
“I think he understands that we have guys that want to win, and we have unselfish guys. His approach hasn't changed in my three years here. He's definitely still been the same guy. But we have a team that can take it in respond in the correct way and then go out there and put positive things out.  The way that he's coaching us is working and our team knows how to respond to it.”

UCLA guard Joe Philon III
on his ability to score in a variety of ways
“Yeah, I mean, honestly, especially as a freshman, somebody who's still understanding the college speed, I'm just allowing my teammates to get me open. I know that my biggest contribution is going to be defensively. So just not forcing shots when I have players on my team that can really make plays and understanding that if my teammates can make plays, I'll just make my plays when I can. On rebounds, on open threes, on the cuts and things like that. So just really understanding that I have guys on my team that can really play and I don't need to score on the ball. I can get my points however I can.”

on the team’s defensive effort
“We have a team of dogs. We have a team of guys who really want to win. Like, you'll do anything. We'll run through a brick wall at any given day, no matter who we're playing, no matter what the score is. It's just not something we turn on and off. The fact that we’re even playing hard when we're up by a lot, it's just a testament to the type of team we are and the type of guys we have on our team.”

on how some of the older players have mentored the freshmen
“For me I've known E [Eric Dailey Jr.] for a long time. Grew up playing, not with him, but in the same organization, and in the same area. So I've known him for a long time and it's been great to learn under him for sure. He's always keeping me accountable. Not letting me slack, but he's doing it in a way that's not like demeaning me. Like, he's always keeping me up and making sure I'm good, and for Trent [Perry], honestly, like, the same thing. I've just met him recently, but we still have a really great connection and he tries to push me, but at the same time, make sure, my head's in the right space, making sure that he's not yelling at me, but actually speaking to me as a teammate. It’s been great learning under those two for me.”