POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 74, Washington 49
January 1, 2023
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
on Adem Bona
“If we can get scoring out of people other than the main two or three guys, it takes us to another level. We tend to forget Adem’s a freshman, young kid. I know he doesn’t look like it at times when he’s playing with strength and flying around above the rim, but he’s still improving. Him and Coach Savino are working hard every day on his finishing around the basket. He was excellent today with his finishing. His effort is always great. He stayed out of foul trouble for the most part, was able to play 26 minutes. He didn’t get a second [foul] until late. He just continues to improve. I thought it was Tyger’s best game of the year, 11 assists, four made threes. He’s seen it all. His pulse never went up a beat. He was calm the whole game, extremely calm. He’s started a lot of Pac-12 games, take advantage.”
on the team’s energy
“We talked about it last night. Playing at UCLA is a privilege. I told our guys that hopefully the fans that have embraced me, it’s because I think it’s a privilege to coach at UCLA. I’m not doing UCLA a favor by being the coach, they’re doing me a favor by letting me have John Wooden’s job. We had a little talk about how college basketball and playing at the highest level is a great accomplishment, and to embrace and enjoy it. They’re getting to play at the best program on the best campus at the best school. If you said right now, you’re going to go to UCLA on a full ride, your son or daughter, they all said I would take that right away. Aside from the free education, they get to go to UCLA. Sometimes with these kids, people put their minds on everything past college. I want them to enjoy the next three months together, I’m a big believer in that. They need to enjoy every minute of it, and realize it’s a privilege. So let’s show up and play with excitement. David [Singleton] gives us great leadership in that area, he really does.”
on momentum
“Winning is contagious. Anybody that I’d give advice to in a head coaching job, now that I’m in my 20th year, I’d say you can never accept losing. You can never be okay to lose, even if you’re rebuilding, you still can’t. The minute you start accepting defeats, you have issues. But winning is contagious.”
on Washington’s three-point shooting
“Sometimes teams miss shots. I don’t think that’s all on our defense. But we have a saying, uncomfortable teams shoot a low percentage. If you can take away their best player – which we held Brooks to one field goal – then they have to do other things that they’re not comfortable doing. That’s our goal on the defensive end. Some of that was they missed some open shots, some of that was our defense trying to really do everything you can to take them out of their rhythm and not let them get to their bread and butter. Brooks has been great for them this year, we tried to make sure we didn’t let him get the ball easily and get one on one opportunities.”
on deflections
“37, great number. If you’re not pressing, 40 is hard to get. We’ve been averaging 39 now for the 10-game winning streak. We pressed a little bit, but once they got to the bonus we called it off. We get the lead, we didn’t want them to be able to score early, so we called off. Anything over 35 when you’re not pressing is really good.”
UCLA senior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.
on Adem Bona
“He’s been so big for us, and in big-time games. This was one we needed really bad. We didn’t play very well at Washington State, and we knew that, so we had to come back as a collective and really strap it all in. I think he played great tonight. When he does that, we have big games like these. He’s a hustler at heart, that’s what he does. Grabs rebounds. We talked to him about his finishing, he showed us tonight that he can really do it. We tried to get him the ball in there as much as we could, we knew their big man had two fouls early. He played tremendous tonight.”
on Tyger Campbell
“That’s just what he does. He’s the top point guard in the country in my opinion, he just proved that again tonight. 11 assists, double-double in a big-time game that we needed. Everyone needed to step up, and I think everyone stepped up again tonight.”
on his performance
“I was just happy I made my threes. Getting in the gym, working on it, so I was really happy I went 3-for-5 tonight. That was my probably my proudest moment.”
on the winning streak
“I think the break had a reset for us. I don’t want to say slowed down our momentum, but it was a little odd for us. I think we have a good time to get back and understand what we need to work on and continue to do to keep getting better as a team. We came out a little flat against Washington State, again, tried to come out here and change that.”
on the upcoming game against USC
“Very excited for that. Always excited for the USC game, I think everyone knows that. Just excited to be back in Pauley, we’re ready to be back home.”
UCLA freshman forward Adem Bona
on the game
“I did well today on both ends. I tried my best to help the team win, taking charges and blocking shots. I think I tried my best for us to win.”
on having a big game
“It’s so much fun. I would say that’s my first one since I’ve been here. It’s fun, the energy, feeding off all the players on the team, everyone getting excited for you.”
on contributing
“That’s my plan coming in this year, help the guys that built this team before me. My plan was to come and help them get to our goal, get to the National Championship, that’s the plan.”
on his growth
“I’ve learned a lot from the coaches, the players, the upperclassmen, the guys that play my position. I’ve learned patience, poise, take my time. So many things I’ve learned. Playing with such an experienced team, I would say it’s a huge advantage to a guy like me as a freshman.”
UCLA 74, Washington 49
January 1, 2023
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
on Adem Bona
“If we can get scoring out of people other than the main two or three guys, it takes us to another level. We tend to forget Adem’s a freshman, young kid. I know he doesn’t look like it at times when he’s playing with strength and flying around above the rim, but he’s still improving. Him and Coach Savino are working hard every day on his finishing around the basket. He was excellent today with his finishing. His effort is always great. He stayed out of foul trouble for the most part, was able to play 26 minutes. He didn’t get a second [foul] until late. He just continues to improve. I thought it was Tyger’s best game of the year, 11 assists, four made threes. He’s seen it all. His pulse never went up a beat. He was calm the whole game, extremely calm. He’s started a lot of Pac-12 games, take advantage.”
on the team’s energy
“We talked about it last night. Playing at UCLA is a privilege. I told our guys that hopefully the fans that have embraced me, it’s because I think it’s a privilege to coach at UCLA. I’m not doing UCLA a favor by being the coach, they’re doing me a favor by letting me have John Wooden’s job. We had a little talk about how college basketball and playing at the highest level is a great accomplishment, and to embrace and enjoy it. They’re getting to play at the best program on the best campus at the best school. If you said right now, you’re going to go to UCLA on a full ride, your son or daughter, they all said I would take that right away. Aside from the free education, they get to go to UCLA. Sometimes with these kids, people put their minds on everything past college. I want them to enjoy the next three months together, I’m a big believer in that. They need to enjoy every minute of it, and realize it’s a privilege. So let’s show up and play with excitement. David [Singleton] gives us great leadership in that area, he really does.”
on momentum
“Winning is contagious. Anybody that I’d give advice to in a head coaching job, now that I’m in my 20th year, I’d say you can never accept losing. You can never be okay to lose, even if you’re rebuilding, you still can’t. The minute you start accepting defeats, you have issues. But winning is contagious.”
on Washington’s three-point shooting
“Sometimes teams miss shots. I don’t think that’s all on our defense. But we have a saying, uncomfortable teams shoot a low percentage. If you can take away their best player – which we held Brooks to one field goal – then they have to do other things that they’re not comfortable doing. That’s our goal on the defensive end. Some of that was they missed some open shots, some of that was our defense trying to really do everything you can to take them out of their rhythm and not let them get to their bread and butter. Brooks has been great for them this year, we tried to make sure we didn’t let him get the ball easily and get one on one opportunities.”
on deflections
“37, great number. If you’re not pressing, 40 is hard to get. We’ve been averaging 39 now for the 10-game winning streak. We pressed a little bit, but once they got to the bonus we called it off. We get the lead, we didn’t want them to be able to score early, so we called off. Anything over 35 when you’re not pressing is really good.”
UCLA senior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.
on Adem Bona
“He’s been so big for us, and in big-time games. This was one we needed really bad. We didn’t play very well at Washington State, and we knew that, so we had to come back as a collective and really strap it all in. I think he played great tonight. When he does that, we have big games like these. He’s a hustler at heart, that’s what he does. Grabs rebounds. We talked to him about his finishing, he showed us tonight that he can really do it. We tried to get him the ball in there as much as we could, we knew their big man had two fouls early. He played tremendous tonight.”
on Tyger Campbell
“That’s just what he does. He’s the top point guard in the country in my opinion, he just proved that again tonight. 11 assists, double-double in a big-time game that we needed. Everyone needed to step up, and I think everyone stepped up again tonight.”
on his performance
“I was just happy I made my threes. Getting in the gym, working on it, so I was really happy I went 3-for-5 tonight. That was my probably my proudest moment.”
on the winning streak
“I think the break had a reset for us. I don’t want to say slowed down our momentum, but it was a little odd for us. I think we have a good time to get back and understand what we need to work on and continue to do to keep getting better as a team. We came out a little flat against Washington State, again, tried to come out here and change that.”
on the upcoming game against USC
“Very excited for that. Always excited for the USC game, I think everyone knows that. Just excited to be back in Pauley, we’re ready to be back home.”
UCLA freshman forward Adem Bona
on the game
“I did well today on both ends. I tried my best to help the team win, taking charges and blocking shots. I think I tried my best for us to win.”
on having a big game
“It’s so much fun. I would say that’s my first one since I’ve been here. It’s fun, the energy, feeding off all the players on the team, everyone getting excited for you.”
on contributing
“That’s my plan coming in this year, help the guys that built this team before me. My plan was to come and help them get to our goal, get to the National Championship, that’s the plan.”
on his growth
“I’ve learned a lot from the coaches, the players, the upperclassmen, the guys that play my position. I’ve learned patience, poise, take my time. So many things I’ve learned. Playing with such an experienced team, I would say it’s a huge advantage to a guy like me as a freshman.”