Mick Cronin and UCLA faced a crucial defensive test Saturday on the road against a powerful Ohio State team, needing to contain guards John Mobley Jr. and Bruce Thornton and disrupt forward Devin Royal.
UCLA Coach Mick Cronin Voices Frustration Over Team’s Apparent Lack of Defensive Effort
The Bruins let the Buckeyes dominate: Ohio State shot 53% from the field, 37.5% from three, and Mobley, Royal, and Thornton totaled 71 points. Afterward, defense-minded UCLA coach Mick Cronin voiced his frustration in an interview.
A dejected Cronin addressed reporters postgame after UCLA lost 86-74 to Ohio State. He took responsibility for the loss and said the Bruins would not advance far in the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season if they failed to play tough defense.
“Highly disappointed in getting our asses kicked physically and our inability to play defense,” Cronin said. “I offer no excuses. Blame me. Blame me I recruited them. I signed them as free agents. We’re not going to win meaningful games if we can’t stop the other team.”
To highlight UCLA’s defensive shortcomings, Ohio State averaged 1.453 points per possession. It meant that, for every offensive trip, the Buckeyes scored nearly 1.5 points.
This was Ohio State’s most efficient offensive performance and its highest scoring rate against a Power Five team this season. For comparison, UCLA’s defense allowed 137.7 points per 100 possessions on Saturday. This was their worst defensive showing this season, according to Torvik Rankings.
Cronin admitted that despite scoring a decent 74 points on the road, winning a Big 10 game will be hard if they allow 80 or more points. Known as a defense-minded bench tactician in college basketball circles, the veteran mentor simply had no answers for the team’s defensive collapse against Ohio State.
“Nothing,” he said. “I can’t trade guys. You get your ass kicked physically, you don’t defend in the Big Ten, you’re going to lose.”
Cronin expressed frustration with his players, who were not ready to step up to the challenge of defending the dreaded Ohio State backcourt tandem of Mobley and Thornton, who scored 28 and 21 points, respectively, and allowed Royal to rack up 22 points, almost outscoring the entire Bruins offense.
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“We had nobody interested in rising to the challenge defensively. Everybody wants somebody else to get the dirty work. We’re a team that struggles to have dirty work guys,” he said.
UCLA’s defense lacked sync all day against Ohio State. They fouled the Buckeyes 20 times, leading to 25 free throw attempts and 21 makes. On the boards, UCLA managed only 13 defensive rebounds to the home team’s 25.
Eighteen games into the season, the Bruins’ defense ranks 51st in KenPom, allowing 102.6 points per 100 defensive possessions. For UCLA to stay in contention for the NCAA Tournament, Cronin must quickly address and fix the team’s defensive lapses.
UCLA (12-6, 4-3 Big Ten) next faces No. 5 Purdue (17-1, 7-0 Big Ten) on Tuesday. Faced with the nation’s top offensive team in KenPom and an adjusted offensive efficiency rating of 129.2 per 100 possessions, the Bruins must rise to the challenge. Cronin and his team cannot afford another defensive lapse if they hope to stay relevant in the Big Ten race. A renewed focus and determination to improve on defense will be non-negotiable.
