Postgame Quotes – UCLA vs. Arizona
POSTGAME QUOTES
UCLA 82, Arizona 73
March 4, 2023
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
opening statement
“Dave [Singleton] was due to have a big night making some shots, so it doesn’t surprise me. When you lead the Pac-12 as many times as he has in 3-point shooting, it’s always going to revert to the mean, and he had not been the best in our last five. They were taller than us in just about every position and we outrebounded them by six. So, points in the paint, we’re plus six, points off turnovers, we’re plus nine, second chance points, we’re plus five, [and] fastbreak points, we’re plus eight. We won every hustle category, so that’s why we won. Obviously, our crowd was a huge factor.”
on what the biggest factor was to get the offense going
“Look, we don’t worry about making shots. We worry about taking good ones. Winners know what to focus on. We focus on effort, defense, playing the game plan, rebounding and getting open shots. Eventually, they’re going to go in.”
on the seniors’ big performances on senior night
“Not a surprise. They’ve been carrying us all year. I’d have liked to see Russell (Stong) to hit a three to start the game.”
on sending the seniors out on a high note at home
“What I would say to our crowd is imagine if it was like that every night and how big of an assist that would be or our team. … I didn’t think the [seniors] would let us lose today. When you’re a coach and you’re looking at your schedule and your last four games, you’re trying to figure out whose senior day you’re going to have to play at, because it’s a huge disadvantage.”
on the defensive pressure in the second half
“They went on a run. They scored a lot of buckets late. I’m going to say five or six in the last two or three minutes. We had them around eight or nine field goals over the first 17 minutes of the second half. I will say this, Mac Etienne played a lot today. I thought it was one of his better games. He helped us beat Kentucky as well. Kenny Nwuba is still dealing with an injury to his hip. Obviously, Adem [Bona] had foul trouble, so it wasn’t his best game. Look, you’ve got to get stops or you can’t play anybody. You’ve just got to keep defending, get open shots, keep grinding.”
on if this team is most ready for March he has had
“Well, we’ll see … Jaylen Clark’s MRI tomorrow. But we’ve got other guys. If he’s not OK, I will feel tragically awful for him because he’s a family member to us. But we’ve got plenty of other guys that I believe in. They just don’t get enough minutes because we’ve got other guys that are a little older. We’ll see. Obviously, it’s a blow if he’s out, but I believe Will McClendon can do a lot of the things that Jaylen Clark does. I still believe Dylan Andrews has got better games in him. And Abramo [Canka] was recruited because he’s got talent. Kenny [Nwuba] and Mac [Etienne] are great examples because they play a lot because Adem [Bona] fouls so much. Your number’s going to get called. But I will say this, the recipe for success in March usually – I mean, aside from talent – is a great point guard and some senior leadership, like a guy like a Jaime Jaquez. I mean, we’ve got a chance. But as you know, that tournament’s crazy. It isn’t ‘March Normal.’”
on if his team deserves a No. 1 seed
“That’s for you … like I said the other night, all I want is for my team to be treated fairly. That’s all you can say. But there are games left, right? We’re all going to conference tournaments.”
on David Singleton’s ability to step into lineup
“David’s a starter. He just doesn’t [start] all the time. I told his parents I’m going to try to get the rule changed, he can come back again. When I was hugging them out there. Just keep coming on back, man. He is such a leader for our team. He’s the vocal leader, way more than Tyger and Jaime. That’s why it was so, so big that he came back. Coaches, when you take a job, you’ve got to get a few guys that are on your side that are mature enough to realize, ‘This dude ain’t crazy.” David will tell you I’m like his dad. David’s blessed with a great father that believes in discipline and hard work. When he saw me early on – where other guys were looking at me like I had three heads like I was “The Exorcist” – Dave got it from jump street because that’s what he gets at home. He’s been taught toughness, hard work and discipline, so he’s had a tremendous advantage getting that at home. But it’s huge, if you don’t have a guy like that can translate to his teammates, ‘Hey, man, he’s right. Shut up, listen.’ Whatever’s going on in the locker room when I’m not around. It’s a big, big, big piece of turning a program around … Dave, he was like my guy. Him and Jaime. I am docile compared to their fathers’ intensity.”
UCLA senior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.
on closing out his home career with this win
“Me and him [David Singleton], we came here together, along with Kenny, Tyger, Russ. J-Rock [Jaylen Clark] as well, came the year after. It’s just a testament of four years of just hard work. We came into UCLA – there was no one at the games. I think there were $8 tickets to come to UCLA. We were on a mission to put UCLA back on top, put UCLA basketball to where it needs to be, where it should be, and where it belongs. Two guys being from SoCal, we’re living a dream right now. To be able to be Pac-12 champs, win the way we did on our home court, get ready to go to Vegas and enjoy this Pac-12 Championship, it’s literally like a script, a storybook to me.”
on Russell Stong’s reception from the fans
“He and I are roommates and have been roommates now for three years. I love that guy – he’s like a brother to me. He just puts in the work just like us. We don’t look at him like a walk on. We look at him like part of the team. Team chemistry, I think would be off [without him]. He always works just as hard, always asks us what he can do to do better for scout. He puts in extra shots. No walk-on needs to put up extra shots, but he’s in the gym with me and Dave, even on his own putting up extra shots, putting in extra work in the weight room. He’s just a part of this team, and I’m so happy the student body and fans appreciate that and know that, as well.”
on his final moment with Tyger Campbell in last 30 seconds of the game
“To me it was ‘We did it, but at the same time we’re not done’. We did the regular season part. We accomplished what we needed to accomplish. I just looked them in the eyes and ‘We did it’. And now we’ve got to go into the next half of this. To me, it’s like a whole new season. It’s like restart. We’ve got a whole new season.”
UCLA senior guard David Singleton
on the emotions of Senior Night in Pauley Pavilion
“It is a dream come true as SoCal kids. Jaime and I have been going at it since high school, AAU. Once I saw he committed to UCLA, I thought man, we’re going to have a squad when he gets here. He obviously got better over the years. I’m proud of him – he’s my brother. I’m proud of all my brothers. I love them. I love all my fans. It’s been a wild ride. We obviously had our ups and downs, but it’s about when you go up in March. I love this school, I love everything about it. Just Go Bruins.”
on Russell Stong
“He’s a very hard-working guy. I treat him like a brother. Believe it or not, he’s one of the ones who’s always competing with me in shooting contests at practice. He’s always pushing me. When someone subs out and Russ gets on a team, we get happy we’ve got an extra shooter on the team. He puts in the hard work just like us, even harder. He’s just a great guy all around. If he needs something, if we need something, we’re always there for each other.”
on what was the spark plug, playing from behind
“I told the guys, I was yelling at them that this is our last home game, and it got quiet a little bit. And I said we’ve got to step it up – we’re going to get embarrassed. I understand it’s Senior Night, and that’s not the original starting five. It might have been a little funk, but we have to play through it, we have to put stops together, get great shots, and do what we do.”
on trying to secure a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament
“It means a lot. We’re trying to stay away from traveling as much. We want our fans to be able to come to these games in the tournament. We don’t want to travel as much. We want to stay here and practice here as much as possible. So a one seed in the West, it would be huge for us.”
on Jaime Jaquez Jr. possibly being honored as the Pac-12 Player of the Year
“Yes, he should be Pac-12 Player of the Year. I think he should be National Player of the Year, all the Player of the Year awards. We couldn’t have done it without Jaime Jaquez Jr. right here. He’s an amazing player, an amazing person. He just does it all. When we need a bucket, we give it to him. I feel like he deserves the award, especially the way he performed and carried us throughout the whole season, throughout the conference.”
UCLA redshirt senior guard Tyger Campbell
on the final moment with Jaime Jaquez Jr. in the last 30 seconds
“I was going to free throw line to shoot two. I think we just made eye contact, and I was like ‘It’s been a long time man.’ It’s a crazy feeling I feel like only me and Jaime could experience. This is my brother right here. To go four years with him, it’s been great. When I looked over and saw we had a good chance of winning, it was a breath of fresh air, and just looking around, I just felt really good. It was good to leave Pauley like this.”
on Jaime Jaquez Jr. possibly earning the Pac-12 Player of the Year award
“Jaime works really hard off the court. We all see it, and all of that’s really coming to fruition. He’s doing what he does in practice during the game, and we believe in him. I think he deserves to be Pac-12 Player of the Year.”
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd
overall statement
“This was a great environment tonight. It was Senior Night, so it was a great crowd. Give them credit. They were a more physical team for over a longer period of time.”
on their 13-2 run in the first half
“We tightened up things defensively, but we knew they were going to make a run. In the second half, they came out strong and we just didn’t.”
on how Azuolas Tubelis played
“He is a great player. I’m always going go with what he brings. I just kind of wish that we got him more shooting opportunities. You can go back and forth with those two [Tubelis and Jaime Jaquez Jr.]. Any of those guys could be MVP of our league. Zuo has had a tremendous year for us.”
on where they go from here
“We’re excited. We know it was a tough game for us. I love tournament basketball. We’re going to take a day off and get back to it on Monday and get ready for Vegas. I’m excited for tournament basketball. We got beat by a team that was just better today. I tip my hat off to them.”
UCLA 82, Arizona 73
March 4, 2023
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
opening statement
“Dave [Singleton] was due to have a big night making some shots, so it doesn’t surprise me. When you lead the Pac-12 as many times as he has in 3-point shooting, it’s always going to revert to the mean, and he had not been the best in our last five. They were taller than us in just about every position and we outrebounded them by six. So, points in the paint, we’re plus six, points off turnovers, we’re plus nine, second chance points, we’re plus five, [and] fastbreak points, we’re plus eight. We won every hustle category, so that’s why we won. Obviously, our crowd was a huge factor.”
on what the biggest factor was to get the offense going
“Look, we don’t worry about making shots. We worry about taking good ones. Winners know what to focus on. We focus on effort, defense, playing the game plan, rebounding and getting open shots. Eventually, they’re going to go in.”
on the seniors’ big performances on senior night
“Not a surprise. They’ve been carrying us all year. I’d have liked to see Russell (Stong) to hit a three to start the game.”
on sending the seniors out on a high note at home
“What I would say to our crowd is imagine if it was like that every night and how big of an assist that would be or our team. … I didn’t think the [seniors] would let us lose today. When you’re a coach and you’re looking at your schedule and your last four games, you’re trying to figure out whose senior day you’re going to have to play at, because it’s a huge disadvantage.”
on the defensive pressure in the second half
“They went on a run. They scored a lot of buckets late. I’m going to say five or six in the last two or three minutes. We had them around eight or nine field goals over the first 17 minutes of the second half. I will say this, Mac Etienne played a lot today. I thought it was one of his better games. He helped us beat Kentucky as well. Kenny Nwuba is still dealing with an injury to his hip. Obviously, Adem [Bona] had foul trouble, so it wasn’t his best game. Look, you’ve got to get stops or you can’t play anybody. You’ve just got to keep defending, get open shots, keep grinding.”
on if this team is most ready for March he has had
“Well, we’ll see … Jaylen Clark’s MRI tomorrow. But we’ve got other guys. If he’s not OK, I will feel tragically awful for him because he’s a family member to us. But we’ve got plenty of other guys that I believe in. They just don’t get enough minutes because we’ve got other guys that are a little older. We’ll see. Obviously, it’s a blow if he’s out, but I believe Will McClendon can do a lot of the things that Jaylen Clark does. I still believe Dylan Andrews has got better games in him. And Abramo [Canka] was recruited because he’s got talent. Kenny [Nwuba] and Mac [Etienne] are great examples because they play a lot because Adem [Bona] fouls so much. Your number’s going to get called. But I will say this, the recipe for success in March usually – I mean, aside from talent – is a great point guard and some senior leadership, like a guy like a Jaime Jaquez. I mean, we’ve got a chance. But as you know, that tournament’s crazy. It isn’t ‘March Normal.’”
on if his team deserves a No. 1 seed
“That’s for you … like I said the other night, all I want is for my team to be treated fairly. That’s all you can say. But there are games left, right? We’re all going to conference tournaments.”
on David Singleton’s ability to step into lineup
“David’s a starter. He just doesn’t [start] all the time. I told his parents I’m going to try to get the rule changed, he can come back again. When I was hugging them out there. Just keep coming on back, man. He is such a leader for our team. He’s the vocal leader, way more than Tyger and Jaime. That’s why it was so, so big that he came back. Coaches, when you take a job, you’ve got to get a few guys that are on your side that are mature enough to realize, ‘This dude ain’t crazy.” David will tell you I’m like his dad. David’s blessed with a great father that believes in discipline and hard work. When he saw me early on – where other guys were looking at me like I had three heads like I was “The Exorcist” – Dave got it from jump street because that’s what he gets at home. He’s been taught toughness, hard work and discipline, so he’s had a tremendous advantage getting that at home. But it’s huge, if you don’t have a guy like that can translate to his teammates, ‘Hey, man, he’s right. Shut up, listen.’ Whatever’s going on in the locker room when I’m not around. It’s a big, big, big piece of turning a program around … Dave, he was like my guy. Him and Jaime. I am docile compared to their fathers’ intensity.”
UCLA senior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr.
on closing out his home career with this win
“Me and him [David Singleton], we came here together, along with Kenny, Tyger, Russ. J-Rock [Jaylen Clark] as well, came the year after. It’s just a testament of four years of just hard work. We came into UCLA – there was no one at the games. I think there were $8 tickets to come to UCLA. We were on a mission to put UCLA back on top, put UCLA basketball to where it needs to be, where it should be, and where it belongs. Two guys being from SoCal, we’re living a dream right now. To be able to be Pac-12 champs, win the way we did on our home court, get ready to go to Vegas and enjoy this Pac-12 Championship, it’s literally like a script, a storybook to me.”
on Russell Stong’s reception from the fans
“He and I are roommates and have been roommates now for three years. I love that guy – he’s like a brother to me. He just puts in the work just like us. We don’t look at him like a walk on. We look at him like part of the team. Team chemistry, I think would be off [without him]. He always works just as hard, always asks us what he can do to do better for scout. He puts in extra shots. No walk-on needs to put up extra shots, but he’s in the gym with me and Dave, even on his own putting up extra shots, putting in extra work in the weight room. He’s just a part of this team, and I’m so happy the student body and fans appreciate that and know that, as well.”
on his final moment with Tyger Campbell in last 30 seconds of the game
“To me it was ‘We did it, but at the same time we’re not done’. We did the regular season part. We accomplished what we needed to accomplish. I just looked them in the eyes and ‘We did it’. And now we’ve got to go into the next half of this. To me, it’s like a whole new season. It’s like restart. We’ve got a whole new season.”
UCLA senior guard David Singleton
on the emotions of Senior Night in Pauley Pavilion
“It is a dream come true as SoCal kids. Jaime and I have been going at it since high school, AAU. Once I saw he committed to UCLA, I thought man, we’re going to have a squad when he gets here. He obviously got better over the years. I’m proud of him – he’s my brother. I’m proud of all my brothers. I love them. I love all my fans. It’s been a wild ride. We obviously had our ups and downs, but it’s about when you go up in March. I love this school, I love everything about it. Just Go Bruins.”
on Russell Stong
“He’s a very hard-working guy. I treat him like a brother. Believe it or not, he’s one of the ones who’s always competing with me in shooting contests at practice. He’s always pushing me. When someone subs out and Russ gets on a team, we get happy we’ve got an extra shooter on the team. He puts in the hard work just like us, even harder. He’s just a great guy all around. If he needs something, if we need something, we’re always there for each other.”
on what was the spark plug, playing from behind
“I told the guys, I was yelling at them that this is our last home game, and it got quiet a little bit. And I said we’ve got to step it up – we’re going to get embarrassed. I understand it’s Senior Night, and that’s not the original starting five. It might have been a little funk, but we have to play through it, we have to put stops together, get great shots, and do what we do.”
on trying to secure a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament
“It means a lot. We’re trying to stay away from traveling as much. We want our fans to be able to come to these games in the tournament. We don’t want to travel as much. We want to stay here and practice here as much as possible. So a one seed in the West, it would be huge for us.”
on Jaime Jaquez Jr. possibly being honored as the Pac-12 Player of the Year
“Yes, he should be Pac-12 Player of the Year. I think he should be National Player of the Year, all the Player of the Year awards. We couldn’t have done it without Jaime Jaquez Jr. right here. He’s an amazing player, an amazing person. He just does it all. When we need a bucket, we give it to him. I feel like he deserves the award, especially the way he performed and carried us throughout the whole season, throughout the conference.”
UCLA redshirt senior guard Tyger Campbell
on the final moment with Jaime Jaquez Jr. in the last 30 seconds
“I was going to free throw line to shoot two. I think we just made eye contact, and I was like ‘It’s been a long time man.’ It’s a crazy feeling I feel like only me and Jaime could experience. This is my brother right here. To go four years with him, it’s been great. When I looked over and saw we had a good chance of winning, it was a breath of fresh air, and just looking around, I just felt really good. It was good to leave Pauley like this.”
on Jaime Jaquez Jr. possibly earning the Pac-12 Player of the Year award
“Jaime works really hard off the court. We all see it, and all of that’s really coming to fruition. He’s doing what he does in practice during the game, and we believe in him. I think he deserves to be Pac-12 Player of the Year.”
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd
overall statement
“This was a great environment tonight. It was Senior Night, so it was a great crowd. Give them credit. They were a more physical team for over a longer period of time.”
on their 13-2 run in the first half
“We tightened up things defensively, but we knew they were going to make a run. In the second half, they came out strong and we just didn’t.”
on how Azuolas Tubelis played
“He is a great player. I’m always going go with what he brings. I just kind of wish that we got him more shooting opportunities. You can go back and forth with those two [Tubelis and Jaime Jaquez Jr.]. Any of those guys could be MVP of our league. Zuo has had a tremendous year for us.”
on where they go from here
“We’re excited. We know it was a tough game for us. I love tournament basketball. We’re going to take a day off and get back to it on Monday and get ready for Vegas. I’m excited for tournament basketball. We got beat by a team that was just better today. I tip my hat off to them.”