University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Postgame Quotes - UCLA 63, Michigan State 61
POSTGAME QUOTESย
UCLA 63, Michigan State 61ย
Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescomย
February 4, 2025ย
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Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Menโs Head Basketball Coachย
opening statementย
โI knew what we were going to get tonight, with them coming off of their first Big Ten loss. They came out ready, I knew Coach Izzo would have them ready. But the story of the game is one stat: points off turnovers. We only had three turnovers. I told the guys, if we get to the NCAA tournament and we play every game with three turnovers, weโll cut the nets down. Itโs hard to do when youโre playing Michigan State. Coach Huggins taught me a long time ago, when I had a full head of hair and my suits were cheap, that real programs win when you donโt make shots. We missed layups, we missed free throws, and we couldnโt make a shot to save our life in the second half. But we won anyway. Thatโs what I try to build in to these guys, and I try to build it as a character thing for their lives. When life doesnโt go the way they want it to go, theyโre still going to be successful and still make it through the tough times. When shots go in and your lifeโs easy, itโs all gravy. When it gets tough is when you find out. Michigan State made it tough on us, Aday with some chippies, Lazar stepped up and made some big shots for us. Obviously, I decided in the time out to go with Eric on the last play. He hadnโt had his best night, but Iโm confident in him. I tried to get him to his left hand, get his feet in the paint, and score. The guys came up with a big defensive stop after stop late in the game, but we struggled to get a rebound. Iโve never practiced defensive rebounding as hard as I did Saturday, Sunday, yesterday, and today at shootaround. And they still got 14. Story of the is the points off of turnovers and we took care of the ball and kept them off of the break.โย
on forcing turnovers then capitalizing on them ย
โThese seasons have ebbs and flows. We struggled defensively for a while but the last couple games against Oregon and Michigan State, we gave up 52 and 61. I think keeping them off of the break was the key. If we couldโve kept them off of the backboard, we would have been in big business. But we were one for two, we kept them off of the break. We didnโt keep them off of the backboard like we wanted them to, but we did keep them off the break by taking care of the ball and getting good shots. We needed the seven extra shots we got. Equal free throws, so we had seven more possessions. So, we were able to shoot 35% and 25% and win. I thought tonight was going to be this kind of game; extremely physical. When games are really fought hard like that, physically, itโs hard for guys to make shots. Tyler Bilodeau was wrestling with people; our guys were wrestling with their guys. In games like that, in college basketball, they tend to be lower scoring games.โย
on the final possessionย
โWe wanted the chance to get an offensive rebound. I donโt believe in shooting with two seconds on the clock. Why not have the chance to get an offensive rebound? Plus, I trust our defense.โย
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onย the full court pressย
โWe were just trying to make sure that on made free throws, we could press them. Usually after made baskets is when their fast break is at its best, like the Showtime Lakers, bang. They get it at you before you can get organized. To make them deal with a little press, it takes them out of it and run it down their throat. That was really our game plan, not to steal the ball.โย
onย the physicality of tonightโs gameย
โThatโs why the game is lower scoring, thatโs what I would say. I wouldnโt say we won [the physical battle], we were -18 on the glass. We didnโt win in any way when the ball was coming off of the rim. Zapala, Kohler, Carson Cooper, those guys are big dudes. Aday is just 19 years old, and Tylerโs still not 100% on that ankle, so his lift is a little limited. We basically played three guards, so I was highly concerned about the physicality of the game. I think our guys handled it well enough to get the W. But I think all of these Big Ten games are physical, that would be my opinion.โย
onย Coach Izzoย
โWhen I was interviewed, I said that I thought if I could get a job like UCLA, I could build a program like Michigan State. Thatโs a dead quote from Mick Cronin. Heโs been to seven Final Fours and won a title with class and integrity, and heโs a leader in his community and his school. If heโs not the Dean of College Basketball, I donโt know who is. Iโve looked up to him for a long time. Since Iโve come here, weโve talked a lot more, especially once we joined the Big Ten. For us, in the coaching world, he reaches out to anyone whoโs struggling. He cares about coaches, heโs not about flash, he just cares about players and coaches. Heโs a great guy. I appreciate him and I look up to him. UCLA got blown out by Michigan State the year I got here in Vegas. We got to play them in Maui, and we battled, we just couldnโt score. It was a huge moment for our program to beat them at Purdue on that rainy night in March on our way to the Final Four. Heโs the best. Heโs become a friend, and he didnโt have to be. Thereโs nothing I can do for him; he doesnโt need my advice. Although sometimes I think he could blow off some steam. A lot of things bother him about the state of the game. But at least he hasnโt hung it up, a lot of other guys have. Itโs fortunate for the kids who play for him and for the fans.โย
Forward Eric Dailey Jr.ย
ย on hitting his game-winner with people Like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar in the crowd
โDefinitely a highlight moment of my career. Just seeing two legends you know that played the game before me, and one that went here. ย It was a big shot, and I thank my teammates for trusting me to take that shot.โ ย
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on the setup to his game-winnerย
โI saw it bank in, and coach was saying we need to get a shot down low. Told me to catch it at the elbow, and drive to my strong hand, and get a shot off. It really worked as planned and I thank everybody for trusting me with that. The team trusted me, we didnโt shoot the best tonight. I think the best teams come out when they arenโt hitting shots.โ ย
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on his mindset when the ball isnโt going in for him
I mean, you are not going to hit every shot every time. Itโs basketball, you are going to make shots, you are going to miss shots, you are going to have off nights. It really doesnโt matter honestly, just keep shooting and keep playing hard.โ ย
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on Skyy Clarkโs performance
โHeโs one of our best defenders. He brings that energy and that swag he has. Heโs been doing a great job for us and keeping us together, through situations that might not work in our favor sometimes,. Just being a leader, him being a leader, both offensively and defensively, showing us and leading us. Heโs been great for us.โ ย ย ย
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Forward Tyler Bilodeauย
on the struggle to see the ball go in the hoop in the second half
โWe were definitely struggling offensively there. I think it shows our whole team a lot of toughness. We knew shots werenโt falling, so we had to get stops. We knew they were going to come at us in transition, really good transition team, they were going to hit the glass hard. Great job, everyone coming together there, even though shots weren't falling.โ ย
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on battling through injury
โIโve played through injuries before, you just have to flush it, get in that mindset where it doesnโt bother you. Try to put it somewhere in the back of your mind, lock it up, and not let it bother you during the game.โ ย
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on what has turned the team around during the winning streak
โI think we have come together. We knew we had to do something after those losses, and I think we did a great job of coming together and focusing on day-by-day, focusing on the next day, and just trying to stick through it. We knew we were going to get over the hump and we just have to keep doing that.โ ย ย
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on forcing turnovers and not turning the ball over
โWe knew transition was a big thing; we were going to try and make them play in the half-court, where they arenโt as dominant. Thatโs what we did. I think we did a great job everyone, guards getting through screens, getting up in people. I think we did good to guarding the paint, we really stopped the paint. Definitely lost the rebounding battle, we have to be better there, but just great all-around.โ
Michigan State Head Coach Tom Izzo ย
opening statementย
โWell, Iโm not sure we deserved to win by the way we played in the middle (of the game). Against USC, we just didnโt play very hard. Here, we competed, we made our free throws, but we had turnovers. To beat teams on the road, you have to play hard enough and smart enough. We didnโt play smart enough. I didnโt know the road trips would be so hard. Itโs a long time for college kids to be on the road. We played well enough, but not smart enough. We just turned the ball over too much. You have to play hard, smart and good. We just werenโt smart enough.โย
on guarding Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey Jr. ย
โWe did a good job on Dailey and Bilodeau, but we did a poor job on (Skyy) Clark. He had thirteen (points) at the half.โย
onย the turnover by Jaxon Kohler at the end of the gameย
ย โI thought he lost his mind for a minute. He got the rebound, but he should have thrown it out. I donโt blame him for that. When we were up 15-6, it was just as bad. After we got the lead, we just took some bad shots.โย
onย taking shots late in the possessionย
โWe had different line-ups at times. We didnโt do a good job at communicating. You have to remember that is a good defensive team out there. We got a bit dysfunctional. Like I said, they are a good defensive team. With their size, it was hard to go inside and with our shooting, it made it difficult.โย
onย UCLAโs recent resurgenceย
โUCLA is a really good team. They lost four in a row and everyone pronounced them dead. Teams have to go through certain things and teams need a jolt and he (Coach Cronin) did that. I think they have won six in a row."