David Singleton fired the half shot during UCLA’s open practice on the eve of the NCAA Tournament. Big men Myles Johnson, Kenneth Nwuba and Mac Etienne held a three-point shooting contest even though no one tried one in a college game. Cody Riley performed a crossover dribble while sitting on his torso, triggering a wide-mouthed awe from team-mate Jules Bernard.
Sure, why not? The Browns can do whatever they want this time of year.
Two years ago, they emerged from the depths of mediocrity late in the season, winning nine of their last 11 games before only a pandemic could stop them.
Last year, they went from First Four to Final Four, while becoming America’s sweet team.
They have maintained the tradition over the last month, winning eight of their last 10 games to regain their position as a fashionable choice to return to the Final Four.
“We do not believe in giving up,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin told The Times recently before his fourth-seeded Bruins (25-7) qualified for their first round against the 13th at the Moda Center. “I think whatever helps, what doesn’t break you, makes you stronger.”
The challenges have been significant since Cronin’s arrival almost three years ago. His first team was extremely young and took almost the entire season to master the nuances of his defense. His second team lost senior guard Chris Smith in December and top interior defender Jalen Hill in February. This team experienced a decade worth of unrest, lasting through a diverted plane, a scooter accident with top scorer Johnny Juzang and a nearly month-long COVID-19 dismissal in addition to the usual injuries and illnesses.
The Bruins retreated with an undisputed edge, appreciating all possessions and remaining true to their defensive principles. Just like last year. And that year before.
“I think it was just a group understanding of what was at stake,” said Junior Guard Jaime Jaquez Jr., an essential part of all three late-season floods. “We lose, we go home, and that’s the same thing that goes on in our game” Thursday against the Zips.
These guys do not like to lose. Not in basketball, top golf or Super Smash Bros., the debates over superiority are raging on bus rides and in hotel rooms.
“That’s the biggest argument of our team at the moment,” said Cronin of the Nintendo game, “who is the best player in that.”
UCLA head coach Mick Cronin moves into the second half against USC in the semifinals of the Pac-12 tournament on Friday in Las Vegas.
(John Locher / Associated Press)
UCLA has combined some humility with its hunger. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Cronin wore a blue letterman jacket that was a replica of that favored by John Wooden while he won 10 national championships with the Bruins. Cronin said his team needs to maintain its modesty, even if it is a 13½-point favorite in its NCAA tournament opener.
“For me, that’s why people stay focused on whether it’s in business, in life, everything,” he said. “For me, the minute you lose that edge, you start to lose your temper, is when you will not be the best.”
In recent years, Cronin and his sleep-deprived staff have positioned the Browns for late-season success through more-than-exhausting scout reports and adjustments that have included a better defense of the three-point line and ensure Jaquez is a key component. of the offended. This season, coaches have earned honorary medical degrees while navigating one injury after another.
Jaquez had to play through two bad ankles. Defensive ace Jaylen Clark absorbed multiple blows to the head. Riley was sidelined for almost two months with a knee injury. Juzang injured his thighs after falling off the scooter and injuring an ankle. Point guard Tyger Campbell injured his shoulder.
“Going back, I do not think we had a game this year where everyone was 100%,” Jaquez said. “God bless that we are all healthy now.”
A condensed late-season schedule filled with makeup players only compounded the injury problems. UCLA played six games in 12 days at the end of February, prompting Cronin to ask Riley to sit down for one game and limit Jaquez’s participation in the practice. At one point, the team stopped practicing between games to decide on video sessions that emphasized mental preparation.
It’s a similar arc as Cronin arrived this time of year, even before he arrived at UCLA when he won the American Athletic Conference Tournament Championship in all of his last two seasons in Cincinnati.
“Mick really dominated me in my opinion because I’ve been with him for a long time,” said assistant coach Darren Savino, who worked at Cronin for 12 seasons, “as one physically and mentally rests, knowing and understanding that the postseason in March is the most important thing that everyone cares about, of course, and getting the team mentally and physically fresh for this time of year.
These Bruins may be uniquely qualified for success compared to their recent predecessors, as they all had five starting spots from the Final Four team one season after having no NCAA tournament experience with the exception of Smith, who was sidelined with a knee injury. They can also beat teams in various ways that rank No. 12 nationally and defensively, according to the metrics of basketball analyst Ken Pomeroy, while ranked No. 14 offensively. (By comparison, last season’s team finished in 46th place in defensive efficiency and in 11th place in offensive efficiency.)
It was not perfect. At times, UCLA’s offensive lulls led to a diminished energy on defense.
“We talked about it [Tuesday] Night and we talked about it, “said Savino.” You can not let your offensive difficulties or drought affect your defense and if you play this kind of game against these kind of teams, the other team is really good and you have to expect that You’re going through a break and you have to answer, so that’s the key for us.
The calendar shows better days. This is the time of year when the Bruins seem to have all the answers.
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