Postgame Quotes - UCLA at Oregon State
POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 62, Oregon State 58
January 23, 2020
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
on team’s win
“Oh, yeah, we executed down the stretch and that’s what you’ve got to do in close games. You’ve got to make free throws and you’ve got to get the ball inbounds versus pressure. We’ve got to execute, defensively, which we did a pretty good job of other than letting [Tres] Tinkle get to his left hand way too many times. The rest of our defense was really elite tonight.”
on containing Tres Tinkle
“You have to make him work. We tried to eliminate his layups. He does a great job cutting without the ball, and we didn’t give him any layups on back cuts, or slip cuts, to try to turn him into a guy that had to play out front with the ball. He’s capable of it, but it wears him down. We also tried to make him defend.”
on Chris Smith’s performance
“Yeah, I was calling his number. I was trying to get certain matchups, late game, trying to put the ball in certain guys’ hands. I thought he was fresh because of his foul trouble. He played only 17 minutes, so he was the fresh guy. He stepped up, got the ball to the paint and made sure he got to the foul line. They were being real aggressive and instead of taking fallaways or runners, he got in there and planted his feet and got in there and won it again for his team.”
on earning road win in Pac-12 play
“Yeah, we’re just a one at a time [team], I think. We’re trying to build a culture in my first year about what we’re going to stand for at UCLA basketball. Rome wasn’t built in a day. As frustrated as I get, I have to go home and tell myself these guys haven’t played for me before. This is all new to them, what we’re trying to do. So, just got to get back and every day wake up and try to get better. That’s all we worry about. We don’t talk about anything else other than each guy trying to improve and become a better player so we can become a better team.”
UCLA junior guard Chris Smith
on attacking the basket late in the second half
“Yeah, at that point in the game, Coach Cronin told me, somebody’s got to be able to drive to the cup [and] make the right play. At that moment, I was attacking, so the right play was to get fouled or get an open shot. Made sure I got fouled on all those drives.”
on being a team leader
“One hundred percent. [Coach Cronin] He’s been talking to me recently. I figured the ball was going to be in my hand at the time, and I was just trying to do whatever I could do to get a win for the guys.”
on dealing with foul trouble and if that was tough
“No. My teammates were talking to me on defense. In the first half, I was a little lost at times, but my teammates were talking to me. I was in position and the better position you’re in, the less you’re going to foul.”
on making free throws down stretch
“Yeah, you’ve got to take advantage of all the buckets you could get. That’s the easiest shot we’re going to get. And in a crowd like this, on the road, you’ve got to make as many of those as you can.”
on the job that he did defending against Tres Tinkle
“Yeah, for sure. He was definitely one of the focal points tonight, both him and Ethan Thompson. So, we knew that we couldn’t let either of them beat us. That’s what we had to do coming into the game.”
on if this helps the team’s mindset as UCLA faces Oregon on Sunday
“For sure. We’re going to use this momentum, roll into Eugene and try to keep the defensive effort up, because that’s what got us the win tonight.”
UCLA 62, Oregon State 58
January 23, 2020
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
on team’s win
“Oh, yeah, we executed down the stretch and that’s what you’ve got to do in close games. You’ve got to make free throws and you’ve got to get the ball inbounds versus pressure. We’ve got to execute, defensively, which we did a pretty good job of other than letting [Tres] Tinkle get to his left hand way too many times. The rest of our defense was really elite tonight.”
on containing Tres Tinkle
“You have to make him work. We tried to eliminate his layups. He does a great job cutting without the ball, and we didn’t give him any layups on back cuts, or slip cuts, to try to turn him into a guy that had to play out front with the ball. He’s capable of it, but it wears him down. We also tried to make him defend.”
on Chris Smith’s performance
“Yeah, I was calling his number. I was trying to get certain matchups, late game, trying to put the ball in certain guys’ hands. I thought he was fresh because of his foul trouble. He played only 17 minutes, so he was the fresh guy. He stepped up, got the ball to the paint and made sure he got to the foul line. They were being real aggressive and instead of taking fallaways or runners, he got in there and planted his feet and got in there and won it again for his team.”
on earning road win in Pac-12 play
“Yeah, we’re just a one at a time [team], I think. We’re trying to build a culture in my first year about what we’re going to stand for at UCLA basketball. Rome wasn’t built in a day. As frustrated as I get, I have to go home and tell myself these guys haven’t played for me before. This is all new to them, what we’re trying to do. So, just got to get back and every day wake up and try to get better. That’s all we worry about. We don’t talk about anything else other than each guy trying to improve and become a better player so we can become a better team.”
UCLA junior guard Chris Smith
on attacking the basket late in the second half
“Yeah, at that point in the game, Coach Cronin told me, somebody’s got to be able to drive to the cup [and] make the right play. At that moment, I was attacking, so the right play was to get fouled or get an open shot. Made sure I got fouled on all those drives.”
on being a team leader
“One hundred percent. [Coach Cronin] He’s been talking to me recently. I figured the ball was going to be in my hand at the time, and I was just trying to do whatever I could do to get a win for the guys.”
on dealing with foul trouble and if that was tough
“No. My teammates were talking to me on defense. In the first half, I was a little lost at times, but my teammates were talking to me. I was in position and the better position you’re in, the less you’re going to foul.”
on making free throws down stretch
“Yeah, you’ve got to take advantage of all the buckets you could get. That’s the easiest shot we’re going to get. And in a crowd like this, on the road, you’ve got to make as many of those as you can.”
on the job that he did defending against Tres Tinkle
“Yeah, for sure. He was definitely one of the focal points tonight, both him and Ethan Thompson. So, we knew that we couldn’t let either of them beat us. That’s what we had to do coming into the game.”
on if this helps the team’s mindset as UCLA faces Oregon on Sunday
“For sure. We’re going to use this momentum, roll into Eugene and try to keep the defensive effort up, because that’s what got us the win tonight.”