POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 71, Oregon State 63
Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion)
February 1, 2024
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
opening statement
“Really happy with the win. Obviously, I told you guys the other day, we talked about a lot of stuff, but you didn’t ask enough about Oregon State. They got two of the best young players in the country in Jordan Pope and Tyler Bilodeau. Like us, they’re predominantly freshmen and sophomores except for [Dexter] Akanno. Rataj, Bilodeau, Pope – all sophomores. Christian Wright. So, their best players are young and they played really well last week. And I mean really well. Dominated Arizona State. Beat Arizona in a game where Arizona shot 50-plus percent. It’s not like it wasn’t a game where Arizona didn’t make shots. Obviously, this concern with that. Fortunately, we got 12 more shots than them because they shot as good as anybody. Fifty-one percent against us. But we’re able to be plus-four in turnovers and plus-11 on the glass. It’s hard to lose when you get 16 more possessions than them.”
on Dylan Andrews’ growing confidence
“He’s developed -- you asked me Tuesday about it – speed. And I was talking about decision making. There’s a time to use speed on the highway and there’s a time to change gears in traffic. I thought there was only one time today where he had his head down going too fast and came up and shot a blind jumper. Young kid. He continues to improve because he’s a good kid and listens to me. That helps. Helps a lot.”
on the team learning to close out games
“It was a long time ago, but in Power-5 leagues, the average margin of victory – give or take some percentages – is around six points a game. So, you got to learn to win grinders in conference play. So, to your point, we closed it out late. Will [McClendon] hit a big shot. We got the ball to Adem [Bona]. We got him fouled a couple times. Will’s three was because Adem touched the ball, so we go the ball where it needed to go late in the game. We got some stops and some rebounds. Wayne [Tinkle] does a great job. Coaches are rated based on fame, and the interesting thing is players decide how good your coaching is. It’s just reality, you know. It’s just reality. Phil Jackson – when Michael [Jordan] retired versus when he came back. And I think Phil Jackson is a genius. You just go down the line, man. Players determine it. Wayne Tinkle is a great coach. He really is. He’s got a good young team, so I’m happy with our win.”
on UCLA’s offensive rebounding
“Have to. You can’t expect to win if you don’t put forth winning effort, which means you have to put forth more effort than your opponent. So, tonight we weren’t able to shut them out. Obviously, they shot at a good percentage. But thankfully we dominated the backboard and we were plus-four in the turnover margin. But that takes effort to turn people over. It takes effort to outrebound people. And back to ‘how to win.’ You can’t expect to win if you want to come out and be pretty and shoot jump shots. It just doesn’t work.”
on how big the defensive stretch was with Adem Bona out of the game
“Yeah, you would probably know better than me because I’m out there just trying to survive once he got that third foul. Same with the fourth foul. Those two stretches where we played with him on the bench were really important. Aday [Mara] continued to improve. Stats don’t show it. He played eight minutes tonight and made both his free throws, got two rebounds, blocked a shot. I thought he was highly effective in his minutes and Kenny [Nwuba] got five rebounds in his. We got a lot of production out of them, out of that position. We had 20 points, two blocks and 10 rebounds. Right now, we got to get more production out of the four spot. Berke [Buyuktuncel] trying to come back from the injury, obviously, not in rhythm. And Sebastian Mack didn’t practice for two days and did minimal stuff yesterday and it showed today. It’s hard for a freshman to miss time and then come back. Older guys can do it. It’s really hard on a freshman. Both those guys’ rhythm was definitely off.”
UCLA sophomore guard Dylan Andrews
on combining with Bona and Stefanovic to score 51 points
“I feel like right now, we’re really locked in, and we’ve got momentum right now. We’re gonna keep using that to our best ability.”
on playing 40 minutes and his evolving endurance
”I would say we started out this season with a big change, from me playing 10 minutes to pretty much playing the whole game. I feel like as the season goes on, we start adjusting, getting used to it. I’m starting to feel more comfortable playing all those minutes.”
on Will McClendon’s performance off the bench
“Like Lazar said, Will’s one of the leaders as well. He’s a guy you just want to be around, his IQ for the game is crazy, and when his shot is falling, it’s really hard to stop him. He’s quick man, he turns the heat up.”
on playing defense after Adem’s fourth foul
“For sure. You know when anyone is in foul trouble, it hurts, but we have guys that can step up, guys that are ready to come in the game, give minutes. Guys that bring energy and I believe that Kenny, Devin, and Aday, they did that for us. We really appreciate that. Then Bona got right back in the game and did what he does.”
UCLA sophomore center Adem Bona
on Dylan’s confidence improving
“It’s amazing to see him play like this. Always want the best for my brother. The last two games he’s been playing out of his mind, I love it. He plays good, the whole team goes with him, because he coordinates the team. He’s the point guard, he’s the head of the snake, so I’m loving it. He snuck into my huddle but it’s all good.”
on combining with Andrews and Stefanovic to score 51 points
“It seems like we took turns. I got in foul trouble and they picked up the pace. They kept us in the game, Lazar and DA. The three of us are kind of the most experienced on the team, so it’s kind of great to see them showing things to the young guys on the team. It’s really amazing.”
on Will McClendon’s performance off the bench
“It’s amazing because people don’t get to see a lot about Will. Will is one of the leaders on the team, he’s been for like three years now. He brings a lot of energy off the bench, he talks a lot, plays hard, so I think Will’s a big value to the team right now.”
UCLA junior guard Lazar Stefanovic
on Dylan Andrews’ confidence improving
“He’s great, man. He’s been playing great lately. As you said, his confidence has gone up, and when he plays well, we play well, we really get going. And towards the end, I don’t know exactly how much, but it seems like he scored every point down the stretch. That’s really huge, he stepped up, took responsibility, and he did a great job.”
on playing 40 minutes and his evolving endurance
“I had a chance to, I think my first game this year I played 40. It’s really important that you’re able to be there for your guys and for our team. You can’t get tired, you can’t let that influence you and let you make bad plays because as Adem mentioned, we are the most experienced guys, I am for sure one of the most experienced guys on the team, played the most minutes. So, I have to be there for the guys, I have to be ready and stay ready.”
on Will McClendon’s performance off the bench
“Will’s a great guy, he impacts the game a lot. He comes off the bench and is great defensively. I think he sensed to get steals or at least tip the ball, and that’s really important. He’s a really smart guy, when the team runs, he talks. He’s really important for our game, and when his shots fall down, it feels really good. He’s a great shooter.”
on playing defense after Adem Bona’s fourth foul
“I think Aday gave us some great minutes today. Kenny was pretty good, he’s always pretty good defensively. You know, this kind of thing is going to happen, your best player is gonna get in foul trouble, and you’ve got to find a way to play through it. It can’t be all on him. We had a guy come in, step up, and that’s huge.”
Oregon State Head Coach Wayne Tinkle
opening statement
“I’m really proud of our guys. We had three areas that we wanted to focus on: points in the paint, turnovers and rebounds. In the first half, we did really well with points in the paint and we really took care of rebounds on the glass, but we had uncharacteristic turnovers. We just kind of got lazy. We had three breakouts that came down the stretch and there were three threes, but they didn’t go down. UCLA had their opportunities and they converted. Adem [Bona] did a great job as well as [Dylan] Andrews. I really love his game as well as his demeanor on the court.”
on at what point the game changed
“We battled, but we just squandered our opportunities. Our Achilles’ heel has been when the ball sticks. I told the guys we need to move the ball. We didn’t do that, but we got some good looks. Give them credit. Mick really has them playing well the last couple weeks.”
on where they go from here
“We’ve got USC on Saturday. We beat them at our place, but we’ve got to rebound. They’ve got a lot of talent over there and they’re just trying to put it all together.”
UCLA 71, Oregon State 63
Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion)
February 1, 2024
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
opening statement
“Really happy with the win. Obviously, I told you guys the other day, we talked about a lot of stuff, but you didn’t ask enough about Oregon State. They got two of the best young players in the country in Jordan Pope and Tyler Bilodeau. Like us, they’re predominantly freshmen and sophomores except for [Dexter] Akanno. Rataj, Bilodeau, Pope – all sophomores. Christian Wright. So, their best players are young and they played really well last week. And I mean really well. Dominated Arizona State. Beat Arizona in a game where Arizona shot 50-plus percent. It’s not like it wasn’t a game where Arizona didn’t make shots. Obviously, this concern with that. Fortunately, we got 12 more shots than them because they shot as good as anybody. Fifty-one percent against us. But we’re able to be plus-four in turnovers and plus-11 on the glass. It’s hard to lose when you get 16 more possessions than them.”
on Dylan Andrews’ growing confidence
“He’s developed -- you asked me Tuesday about it – speed. And I was talking about decision making. There’s a time to use speed on the highway and there’s a time to change gears in traffic. I thought there was only one time today where he had his head down going too fast and came up and shot a blind jumper. Young kid. He continues to improve because he’s a good kid and listens to me. That helps. Helps a lot.”
on the team learning to close out games
“It was a long time ago, but in Power-5 leagues, the average margin of victory – give or take some percentages – is around six points a game. So, you got to learn to win grinders in conference play. So, to your point, we closed it out late. Will [McClendon] hit a big shot. We got the ball to Adem [Bona]. We got him fouled a couple times. Will’s three was because Adem touched the ball, so we go the ball where it needed to go late in the game. We got some stops and some rebounds. Wayne [Tinkle] does a great job. Coaches are rated based on fame, and the interesting thing is players decide how good your coaching is. It’s just reality, you know. It’s just reality. Phil Jackson – when Michael [Jordan] retired versus when he came back. And I think Phil Jackson is a genius. You just go down the line, man. Players determine it. Wayne Tinkle is a great coach. He really is. He’s got a good young team, so I’m happy with our win.”
on UCLA’s offensive rebounding
“Have to. You can’t expect to win if you don’t put forth winning effort, which means you have to put forth more effort than your opponent. So, tonight we weren’t able to shut them out. Obviously, they shot at a good percentage. But thankfully we dominated the backboard and we were plus-four in the turnover margin. But that takes effort to turn people over. It takes effort to outrebound people. And back to ‘how to win.’ You can’t expect to win if you want to come out and be pretty and shoot jump shots. It just doesn’t work.”
on how big the defensive stretch was with Adem Bona out of the game
“Yeah, you would probably know better than me because I’m out there just trying to survive once he got that third foul. Same with the fourth foul. Those two stretches where we played with him on the bench were really important. Aday [Mara] continued to improve. Stats don’t show it. He played eight minutes tonight and made both his free throws, got two rebounds, blocked a shot. I thought he was highly effective in his minutes and Kenny [Nwuba] got five rebounds in his. We got a lot of production out of them, out of that position. We had 20 points, two blocks and 10 rebounds. Right now, we got to get more production out of the four spot. Berke [Buyuktuncel] trying to come back from the injury, obviously, not in rhythm. And Sebastian Mack didn’t practice for two days and did minimal stuff yesterday and it showed today. It’s hard for a freshman to miss time and then come back. Older guys can do it. It’s really hard on a freshman. Both those guys’ rhythm was definitely off.”
UCLA sophomore guard Dylan Andrews
on combining with Bona and Stefanovic to score 51 points
“I feel like right now, we’re really locked in, and we’ve got momentum right now. We’re gonna keep using that to our best ability.”
on playing 40 minutes and his evolving endurance
”I would say we started out this season with a big change, from me playing 10 minutes to pretty much playing the whole game. I feel like as the season goes on, we start adjusting, getting used to it. I’m starting to feel more comfortable playing all those minutes.”
on Will McClendon’s performance off the bench
“Like Lazar said, Will’s one of the leaders as well. He’s a guy you just want to be around, his IQ for the game is crazy, and when his shot is falling, it’s really hard to stop him. He’s quick man, he turns the heat up.”
on playing defense after Adem’s fourth foul
“For sure. You know when anyone is in foul trouble, it hurts, but we have guys that can step up, guys that are ready to come in the game, give minutes. Guys that bring energy and I believe that Kenny, Devin, and Aday, they did that for us. We really appreciate that. Then Bona got right back in the game and did what he does.”
UCLA sophomore center Adem Bona
on Dylan’s confidence improving
“It’s amazing to see him play like this. Always want the best for my brother. The last two games he’s been playing out of his mind, I love it. He plays good, the whole team goes with him, because he coordinates the team. He’s the point guard, he’s the head of the snake, so I’m loving it. He snuck into my huddle but it’s all good.”
on combining with Andrews and Stefanovic to score 51 points
“It seems like we took turns. I got in foul trouble and they picked up the pace. They kept us in the game, Lazar and DA. The three of us are kind of the most experienced on the team, so it’s kind of great to see them showing things to the young guys on the team. It’s really amazing.”
on Will McClendon’s performance off the bench
“It’s amazing because people don’t get to see a lot about Will. Will is one of the leaders on the team, he’s been for like three years now. He brings a lot of energy off the bench, he talks a lot, plays hard, so I think Will’s a big value to the team right now.”
UCLA junior guard Lazar Stefanovic
on Dylan Andrews’ confidence improving
“He’s great, man. He’s been playing great lately. As you said, his confidence has gone up, and when he plays well, we play well, we really get going. And towards the end, I don’t know exactly how much, but it seems like he scored every point down the stretch. That’s really huge, he stepped up, took responsibility, and he did a great job.”
on playing 40 minutes and his evolving endurance
“I had a chance to, I think my first game this year I played 40. It’s really important that you’re able to be there for your guys and for our team. You can’t get tired, you can’t let that influence you and let you make bad plays because as Adem mentioned, we are the most experienced guys, I am for sure one of the most experienced guys on the team, played the most minutes. So, I have to be there for the guys, I have to be ready and stay ready.”
on Will McClendon’s performance off the bench
“Will’s a great guy, he impacts the game a lot. He comes off the bench and is great defensively. I think he sensed to get steals or at least tip the ball, and that’s really important. He’s a really smart guy, when the team runs, he talks. He’s really important for our game, and when his shots fall down, it feels really good. He’s a great shooter.”
on playing defense after Adem Bona’s fourth foul
“I think Aday gave us some great minutes today. Kenny was pretty good, he’s always pretty good defensively. You know, this kind of thing is going to happen, your best player is gonna get in foul trouble, and you’ve got to find a way to play through it. It can’t be all on him. We had a guy come in, step up, and that’s huge.”
Oregon State Head Coach Wayne Tinkle
opening statement
“I’m really proud of our guys. We had three areas that we wanted to focus on: points in the paint, turnovers and rebounds. In the first half, we did really well with points in the paint and we really took care of rebounds on the glass, but we had uncharacteristic turnovers. We just kind of got lazy. We had three breakouts that came down the stretch and there were three threes, but they didn’t go down. UCLA had their opportunities and they converted. Adem [Bona] did a great job as well as [Dylan] Andrews. I really love his game as well as his demeanor on the court.”
on at what point the game changed
“We battled, but we just squandered our opportunities. Our Achilles’ heel has been when the ball sticks. I told the guys we need to move the ball. We didn’t do that, but we got some good looks. Give them credit. Mick really has them playing well the last couple weeks.”
on where they go from here
“We’ve got USC on Saturday. We beat them at our place, but we’ve got to rebound. They’ve got a lot of talent over there and they’re just trying to put it all together.”