University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Postgame Quotes - UCLA at Washington
POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 66, Washington 64
January 2, 2020
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Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Menโs Head Basketball Coach
on the teamโs performance
โItโs like I told them at halftime, Washingtonโs gonna come strong, but if we just keep fighting and scrapping and do the things that weโre trying to do to build our program, I can live with the results. I could actually chew food, talk to the people in my life that I love that I havenโt talked to in two weeks, I could actually sleep more than two hours, I could live with myself whether Jake makes or misses that shot. Sometimes you have to go through despair to come out on the other side. The group has to experience pain. They kept thinking theyโre just going to win because of our [recruit] rankings or youโre at UCLA, whatever. You win because you grind out wins, so I was really proud of them today. No matter what the result would have been, I was proud of them.โ
ย
on Jake Kyman
โI told him after the North Carolina game, โyouโve gotta make me play you.โ I think Jake loves UCLA so much the way he grew up with his Mom being a great volleyball player at UCLA. Part of Jakeโs plan was he might get in as a freshman, he might not. We donโt have that luxury, we need someone who can shoot the ball. His effort and his energy in practice has been great and it showed tonight. Gotta give him credit, he believes heโs making every shot.โ
ย
on the game-winning shot
โI could sit here and tell you thatโs how we drew it up, but we put him in the high post trying to slide him out hoping they would lose him. The guys did a great job, their zone is hard, itโs hard to dictate whoโs going to be open. You can once in a while. The guys kept trying to probe the zone, and we finally got to where we could get that one more pass where we could get a great look. I think it was Chris Smith who passed it out.โ
ย
on playing four guards for a large portion of the game
โItโs hard against them. I thought our best chance was getting the ball to Chris or Jaime in the high post. Theyโre our best two players in the high post. That was really our thought.โ
ย
on the teamโs buy-in
โThe things I told them and said to them, I hope it humbled them. Sometimes the truth hurts. People sometimes think Iโm intense or Iโm the big bad wolf. Youโve gotta tell guys the truth now, the truth will set you free. You can get back to work and start grinding and try to make yourself a player instead of just thinking youโre a player because someone said youโre really good or some guy who lives in his momโs basement gave you four stars.โ
ย
on changes from the Cal State Fullerton game
โWe didnโt wear UCLA stuff all week. We were in blanks all week, coaching staff included.โ
ย
UCLA freshman guard/forward Jake Kyman
On if he knew he was going to have a special nightโฆ
โNo, just kept doing the same thing. Just open shots, keep taking them. The next one comes, shoot it. The next one comes, shoot it again. My teammates get me the ball if Iโm in the right spot, and hopefully just keep shooting it.โ
ย
On the last play
โIt was supposed to move around to the top and then flare out to the corner or the wing and then move it back to Tyger. Then Tyger found me in the corner and I was open and it went in.โ
ย
On hitting the game-winner
โIt felt great, putting us over and giving us a chance to win at the end. There are 100 things I could say about everyone else that helped us win. It wasnโt just my shot at the end. But Iโm really proud of everyone on the team.โ
ย
On the post-game scene in the locker room
โIt was amazing. I came in and everyone was splashing water on me. I was just so happy about it. Getting this win tonight really means a lot to us. We were struggling, so this really helps us out.โ
ย
UCLA junior guard Chris Smith
On recording a steal to close out the game
โIt felt amazing. It was only 1.1 seconds left, so I figured I just gotta get the ball in. Worse case, we get fouled and hit some free throws to win the game. I feel that loose ball sealed the game.โ
ย
On bouncing back from the Fullerton game
โI was telling the guys, since this is my third year, that conference is basically a new season. No matter what happens in non-conference, league is totally different. Itโs guys that weโre going to see the rest of the season, and theyโre games we can win. Itโs the most competitive part of the season other than postseason, obviously.โ
ย
On celebrating with Jake Kyman in the locker room
โIt was great. It was the best feeling Iโve had since I got here other than the Oregon comeback. I only tell him two words all the time: keep shooting. I tell him every time heโs open, Iโm gonna kick it to him so just be ready to shoot because thatโs his job. Weโve been trying to find out what everyoneโs role on the team is, and heโs solidified that. That guyโs got a stroke. Tell people to keep doing what they do best and, for Jake, thatโs to keep shooting.
UCLA 66, Washington 64
January 2, 2020
ย
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Menโs Head Basketball Coach
on the teamโs performance
โItโs like I told them at halftime, Washingtonโs gonna come strong, but if we just keep fighting and scrapping and do the things that weโre trying to do to build our program, I can live with the results. I could actually chew food, talk to the people in my life that I love that I havenโt talked to in two weeks, I could actually sleep more than two hours, I could live with myself whether Jake makes or misses that shot. Sometimes you have to go through despair to come out on the other side. The group has to experience pain. They kept thinking theyโre just going to win because of our [recruit] rankings or youโre at UCLA, whatever. You win because you grind out wins, so I was really proud of them today. No matter what the result would have been, I was proud of them.โ
ย
on Jake Kyman
โI told him after the North Carolina game, โyouโve gotta make me play you.โ I think Jake loves UCLA so much the way he grew up with his Mom being a great volleyball player at UCLA. Part of Jakeโs plan was he might get in as a freshman, he might not. We donโt have that luxury, we need someone who can shoot the ball. His effort and his energy in practice has been great and it showed tonight. Gotta give him credit, he believes heโs making every shot.โ
ย
on the game-winning shot
โI could sit here and tell you thatโs how we drew it up, but we put him in the high post trying to slide him out hoping they would lose him. The guys did a great job, their zone is hard, itโs hard to dictate whoโs going to be open. You can once in a while. The guys kept trying to probe the zone, and we finally got to where we could get that one more pass where we could get a great look. I think it was Chris Smith who passed it out.โ
ย
on playing four guards for a large portion of the game
โItโs hard against them. I thought our best chance was getting the ball to Chris or Jaime in the high post. Theyโre our best two players in the high post. That was really our thought.โ
ย
on the teamโs buy-in
โThe things I told them and said to them, I hope it humbled them. Sometimes the truth hurts. People sometimes think Iโm intense or Iโm the big bad wolf. Youโve gotta tell guys the truth now, the truth will set you free. You can get back to work and start grinding and try to make yourself a player instead of just thinking youโre a player because someone said youโre really good or some guy who lives in his momโs basement gave you four stars.โ
ย
on changes from the Cal State Fullerton game
โWe didnโt wear UCLA stuff all week. We were in blanks all week, coaching staff included.โ
ย
UCLA freshman guard/forward Jake Kyman
On if he knew he was going to have a special nightโฆ
โNo, just kept doing the same thing. Just open shots, keep taking them. The next one comes, shoot it. The next one comes, shoot it again. My teammates get me the ball if Iโm in the right spot, and hopefully just keep shooting it.โ
ย
On the last play
โIt was supposed to move around to the top and then flare out to the corner or the wing and then move it back to Tyger. Then Tyger found me in the corner and I was open and it went in.โ
ย
On hitting the game-winner
โIt felt great, putting us over and giving us a chance to win at the end. There are 100 things I could say about everyone else that helped us win. It wasnโt just my shot at the end. But Iโm really proud of everyone on the team.โ
ย
On the post-game scene in the locker room
โIt was amazing. I came in and everyone was splashing water on me. I was just so happy about it. Getting this win tonight really means a lot to us. We were struggling, so this really helps us out.โ
ย
UCLA junior guard Chris Smith
On recording a steal to close out the game
โIt felt amazing. It was only 1.1 seconds left, so I figured I just gotta get the ball in. Worse case, we get fouled and hit some free throws to win the game. I feel that loose ball sealed the game.โ
ย
On bouncing back from the Fullerton game
โI was telling the guys, since this is my third year, that conference is basically a new season. No matter what happens in non-conference, league is totally different. Itโs guys that weโre going to see the rest of the season, and theyโre games we can win. Itโs the most competitive part of the season other than postseason, obviously.โ
ย
On celebrating with Jake Kyman in the locker room
โIt was great. It was the best feeling Iโve had since I got here other than the Oregon comeback. I only tell him two words all the time: keep shooting. I tell him every time heโs open, Iโm gonna kick it to him so just be ready to shoot because thatโs his job. Weโve been trying to find out what everyoneโs role on the team is, and heโs solidified that. That guyโs got a stroke. Tell people to keep doing what they do best and, for Jake, thatโs to keep shooting.