Postgame Quotes – UCLA at Stanford
POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 79, Stanford 70
Maples Pavilion (Stanford, Calif.)
February 8, 2022
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
opening remarks
“I thought offensively that’s as good as we’ve played in a while. We didn’t shoot the ball well again from three the way we’re capable of, but we ran the floor and passed the ball better than we have in a while. We’ve got to continue to run the floor and pass the ball that way. Johnny obviously got going in the second half for us. I just thought our execution was better, our fast break was much better than it’s been, and I like our chances if we score 79 points.”
on comparisons between tonight and previous matchup vs. Stanford
“That wasn’t the prettiest when we played [on Jan. 29]. Both teams played better. They played much better. I thought they were really ready to play tonight. Harrison had a great game, O’Connell hit shots. They were ready. That’s been happening to us a while, everybody is ready to play us. Final Four darlings last year, the UCLA factor. It’s a great responsibility. I like the fact they were really ready in their home gym and we were still able to put up 41 and get away from them in the first half.”
on the importance of Juzang’s 4-point play
“We finally made a shot. We’ve been struggling. Our last three games, we’re shooting 17% from three. Going in, we’re the best shooting team in the Pac-12, one of the best in the country. Again, that shot was because of passing. We had better ball movement tonight. That shot wasn’t off iso, it was off of ball movement. If we move the ball like that, we’re going to score a lot of points I think. To answer your question, big shot. When you’re on the road, teams aren’t going to just lay down and die, they’re going to keep trying to come back. We got it back up to 15, and they came back again.”
on Jaylen Clark
“It’s just great to have him back. Jaylen’s such an important part of our program. He did gameday stuff on Saturday, we were off Sunday and he had a live practice Monday, his first time in 17 days maybe. He was tired. It just really helps our rotations. He brings a lot to the table for us, a lot of things that don’t show up in the stat sheet, just the won-lost column.”
on the bounceback effort
“Look, it’s hard to win one game. This time of year, you’re on the road in a high major league. Stanford has a good team, I think they’ve only been out-rebounded twice the whole season, they’ve really come around. It’s hard, I just tell our guys we don’t need to be worried about rankings and big picture items. We better focus on winning the game in front of us, because it’s hard to win. All you have to do is turn your TV on and check the scoreboard. It’s tough, so really proud of the guys because obviously they could have hung their heads after the triple overtime situation the other night.”
junior guard Johnny Juzang
on bounceback effort
“Biggest thing, as always – had a great gameplan, great scouting report. Look, we need to listen and be completely locked in to those things. I think we stayed together, focused. We came out and executed, did what we needed to do. You could see the way we were moving the ball. That’s what we need to do. All the time. I think that was a big part. Everybody was very in sync, very together after the last road trip, especially.”
on how fun it is to convert a four-point play
“It’s fun. My teammates found me. We were great looks all night, moving the ball, great screens from the bigs. It was just a product of us playing so well together, swinging that rock.”
on if the team had discussions following two-straight losses
“You hate to lose them, especially two in a row. But yeah, we need to come together. Basketball – it’s not like boxing [where] we’re fighting. We keep coming. The games keep coming, so you just have to be ready for the next one, be ready to win. So, learn from it and then come back. Be confident, play confident, play together, and go out and win. Go out with a winning spirit again.”
on how much he wants to beat USC on Saturday
“I haven’t beat them, so that’s going to be a fun game. Another competitive game. Just like any other one, you have to be ready to come out with intensity, come out to play, come out together. Just like any other game. Obviously, there’s hype around it, but, for us, try to approach each game the same way. It’ll be fun though.”
junior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.
on regrouping and getting the victory
“I’d say we watched a lot of film, just kind of went back to the drawing board and tried to remember what made us the team we were a couple weeks ago. Just reiterating the fact that everyone is coming for our head. We need to be ready for it.”
on if the team had the appropriate spirit tonight
“100 percent. 100 percent. Our threes haven’t been falling lately, but what wins games is layups and free throws and playing defense. When you have those things collectively and put them together, good things happen.”
on team’s ball movement
“I would say always looking for the open man. Trying to create for others, trying to put that out there. Really, just create for others and not having to take tough shots. When that works, we play really well.”
on how much he wants to end losing streak against USC
“Extremely badly. Since I’ve been here, we haven’t beat them. We lost on two buzzer-beaters. We still think about that; it still hurts to this day. We’re ready to go. We’re going to get ready, get prepared, and do whatever we have to do to win.”
graduate center Myles Johnson
on the victory
“We had a hard practice after those two losses and we, as a team, just decided that we had our losses. They’re over. This game is going to determine the rest of the season, like how we’re going to bounce back. What’s going to be the outcome of this game? How are we going to play hard? We’re really locked in and I think we need to carry that over to the next couple games and bring that same effort that we had before those two losses and we’ll be fine.”
on ‘hard practices’
“It was just honest. Honestly, we deserved it. We needed it. We needed a kick in the pants to get our effort and motivation back. It worked. We played hard today, and we’ll just carry that through the next couple games.”
on if he’s settled into a nice role off the bench
“Yeah. I need to do what I need to do to help the team win. Today, our focus was rebounding. Stanford is huge and I tried to get as many rebounds as I could.”
UCLA 79, Stanford 70
Maples Pavilion (Stanford, Calif.)
February 8, 2022
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
opening remarks
“I thought offensively that’s as good as we’ve played in a while. We didn’t shoot the ball well again from three the way we’re capable of, but we ran the floor and passed the ball better than we have in a while. We’ve got to continue to run the floor and pass the ball that way. Johnny obviously got going in the second half for us. I just thought our execution was better, our fast break was much better than it’s been, and I like our chances if we score 79 points.”
on comparisons between tonight and previous matchup vs. Stanford
“That wasn’t the prettiest when we played [on Jan. 29]. Both teams played better. They played much better. I thought they were really ready to play tonight. Harrison had a great game, O’Connell hit shots. They were ready. That’s been happening to us a while, everybody is ready to play us. Final Four darlings last year, the UCLA factor. It’s a great responsibility. I like the fact they were really ready in their home gym and we were still able to put up 41 and get away from them in the first half.”
on the importance of Juzang’s 4-point play
“We finally made a shot. We’ve been struggling. Our last three games, we’re shooting 17% from three. Going in, we’re the best shooting team in the Pac-12, one of the best in the country. Again, that shot was because of passing. We had better ball movement tonight. That shot wasn’t off iso, it was off of ball movement. If we move the ball like that, we’re going to score a lot of points I think. To answer your question, big shot. When you’re on the road, teams aren’t going to just lay down and die, they’re going to keep trying to come back. We got it back up to 15, and they came back again.”
on Jaylen Clark
“It’s just great to have him back. Jaylen’s such an important part of our program. He did gameday stuff on Saturday, we were off Sunday and he had a live practice Monday, his first time in 17 days maybe. He was tired. It just really helps our rotations. He brings a lot to the table for us, a lot of things that don’t show up in the stat sheet, just the won-lost column.”
on the bounceback effort
“Look, it’s hard to win one game. This time of year, you’re on the road in a high major league. Stanford has a good team, I think they’ve only been out-rebounded twice the whole season, they’ve really come around. It’s hard, I just tell our guys we don’t need to be worried about rankings and big picture items. We better focus on winning the game in front of us, because it’s hard to win. All you have to do is turn your TV on and check the scoreboard. It’s tough, so really proud of the guys because obviously they could have hung their heads after the triple overtime situation the other night.”
junior guard Johnny Juzang
on bounceback effort
“Biggest thing, as always – had a great gameplan, great scouting report. Look, we need to listen and be completely locked in to those things. I think we stayed together, focused. We came out and executed, did what we needed to do. You could see the way we were moving the ball. That’s what we need to do. All the time. I think that was a big part. Everybody was very in sync, very together after the last road trip, especially.”
on how fun it is to convert a four-point play
“It’s fun. My teammates found me. We were great looks all night, moving the ball, great screens from the bigs. It was just a product of us playing so well together, swinging that rock.”
on if the team had discussions following two-straight losses
“You hate to lose them, especially two in a row. But yeah, we need to come together. Basketball – it’s not like boxing [where] we’re fighting. We keep coming. The games keep coming, so you just have to be ready for the next one, be ready to win. So, learn from it and then come back. Be confident, play confident, play together, and go out and win. Go out with a winning spirit again.”
on how much he wants to beat USC on Saturday
“I haven’t beat them, so that’s going to be a fun game. Another competitive game. Just like any other one, you have to be ready to come out with intensity, come out to play, come out together. Just like any other game. Obviously, there’s hype around it, but, for us, try to approach each game the same way. It’ll be fun though.”
junior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.
on regrouping and getting the victory
“I’d say we watched a lot of film, just kind of went back to the drawing board and tried to remember what made us the team we were a couple weeks ago. Just reiterating the fact that everyone is coming for our head. We need to be ready for it.”
on if the team had the appropriate spirit tonight
“100 percent. 100 percent. Our threes haven’t been falling lately, but what wins games is layups and free throws and playing defense. When you have those things collectively and put them together, good things happen.”
on team’s ball movement
“I would say always looking for the open man. Trying to create for others, trying to put that out there. Really, just create for others and not having to take tough shots. When that works, we play really well.”
on how much he wants to end losing streak against USC
“Extremely badly. Since I’ve been here, we haven’t beat them. We lost on two buzzer-beaters. We still think about that; it still hurts to this day. We’re ready to go. We’re going to get ready, get prepared, and do whatever we have to do to win.”
graduate center Myles Johnson
on the victory
“We had a hard practice after those two losses and we, as a team, just decided that we had our losses. They’re over. This game is going to determine the rest of the season, like how we’re going to bounce back. What’s going to be the outcome of this game? How are we going to play hard? We’re really locked in and I think we need to carry that over to the next couple games and bring that same effort that we had before those two losses and we’ll be fine.”
on ‘hard practices’
“It was just honest. Honestly, we deserved it. We needed it. We needed a kick in the pants to get our effort and motivation back. It worked. We played hard today, and we’ll just carry that through the next couple games.”
on if he’s settled into a nice role off the bench
“Yeah. I need to do what I need to do to help the team win. Today, our focus was rebounding. Stanford is huge and I tried to get as many rebounds as I could.”