UCLA mens basketball eager to mount deep

PHILADELPHIA — Besides carrying on the UCLA legacy, which Mick Cronin says is an honor in itself, he’s bought an additional incentive right here this weekend that has nothing to do with discovering the best cheesesteak in city.

“We’ve got to win two games,” said Cronin, whose Bruins will start off going against Central Florida, whose coach, Johnny Dawkins, is aware of all too properly from the years they squared off when he was at Cincinnati in the American Athletic Conference. “My daughter goes to American [University.]

“I’ll see her Monday. But I would like to spend a week with her.”

That’s because the East Region can be held in Washington, where AU is positioned. But for the Bruins to advance to past a Sunday showdown most doubtless against highly effective Connecticut, Cronin says they’ll first need to comprise Central Florida’s potent assault.

“Central Florida can score,” he explained of the 21-11 Knights, who’ve efficiently made the transition from the AAC to the Big 12. “They’re athletic.

“[Themus] Fulks [averaging 14.1 points and 6.7 assists] keeps me up at night because he can get in the lane whenever he wants. He’s great off the pick and roll. He makes good reads and he’s a problem.

“I’ve seen Riley Kugel [14.4 points] since high school. He played for a friend of mine, so I know he’s a very good player and has gotten better as he’s gotten older.

“They can shoot it. They’ve struggled of late which means law of averages, that’s going to flip. They’re an athletic, aggressive team.”

On the other hand Dawkins, back in the town where he performed for 5 years and received an NBA Eastern Conference title while enjoying alongside Charles Barkley, is aware of what he’s up against.

“Mick does a great job with his team,” said Dawkins, who before coming to Central Florida went 156-115 teaching eight years at Stanford, following a decade serving as Mike Krzyzewski’s assistant at his alma mater, Duke. “Of course. UCLA is a storied program of all college basketball.

“What an amazing history they’ve had there. and, of course, Coach Cronin is a coach I have known from the American as well. I know his team is going to be really, really talented.

“They’re very skilled and they’re tough.”

Speaking of that legacy, which incorporates a 1976 Final Four look right here under John Wooden’s substitute, Gene Bartow, Cronin’s gamers knew what they had been signing up for when they determined to come to Westwood.

“It’s definitely a blessing just to be part of this, to be part of the history, part of the tradition,” said senior guard Skyy Clark, averaging 11.7 factors per sport. “It’s a lot to carry for sure, but it motivates us to go out there and just do what we can.”

UCLA ahead Tyler Bilodeau is congratulated by followers after beating USC at the Galen Center on March 7.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

“Yeah, a lot comes with these four letters we wear on our chest,” added second-leading scorer and top playmaker Donovan Dent (13.5, 7.6 assists). “We just want to make our names and the history of it.

“I wouldn’t say there’s extra pressure, but we know there’s definitely a standard that needs to be held.”

UCLA ahead Tyler Bilodeau and Dent had been injured during the Bruins’ Big Ten event run, but Cronin said Thursday “they looked good today [during practice,] so knock on wood.”

Maintaining the usual first set by Wooden is what lured Cronin from Cincinnati, where he received 296 video games in 13 years and took them to the NCAA event 9 occasions.

“I had a great job and was close to being the winningest coach ever at Cincinnati,” said Cronin, who’ll be making his fourth tourney look with the Bruins, including dropping a 2022 Sweet Sixteen sport to North Carolina in this building. “But I left to sit in Coach Wooden’s chair and coach at the best university in the country, arguably the world, and everything that goes with it.

“It’s tremendous. I’ve been very fortunate. To coach at my alma mater, Cincinnati, and to be the head basketball coach at UCLA following so many.”

On Friday night time, Cronin and the Bruins will take on the problem of Central Florida and his longtime adversary Dawkins, mindful there are no gimmes once you get this far. No. 5 seed Wisconsin discovered that during a loss to No. 12 High Point on Thursday and top-ranked Duke practically did, having to rally from 13 factors down to survive No. 16 Siena.

“You got to have players,” he said. “If you can’t coach, you’re not going to be in those tournaments. “The better players you have, the further you go.

That’s the whole key to getting in these things and advancing in them. Perseverance.”