UCLA Basketball opened its season with a huge victory on Monday night, facing Arizona. Arizona came into the game ranked as a top-five team and the favorite to win on Monday night.

After the 84-75 victory on Monday night, UCLA head coach Mick Cronin spoke about his team and the victory after the game. Before he spoke of his team at the post-game press conference, the coach took a shot at the NCAA, per Jason Scheer of Wildcat Authority.

“Where should I sit? NCAA tells me where to sit and what to drink. Maybe they should get a hold on who is eligible,” Cronin said to open the conference.

Cronin took a stab at the fact that there are multiple debates around who is eligible, between players trying to get eligibility from the class of 2022, and other players who have been on professional contracts trying to return to college.

While he took a shot at the NCAA, Cronin is clearly excited about his team this year, speaking to Allie LaForce of TNT on the court right after the game.

“Well, we're more athletic than we've been, and you know, Nikola (Kusturica) and Joe Philon give us a dimension I haven't had. They're above-the-rim perimeter players. But Eric (Dailey Jr.) and Trent (Perry) are elite,” Cronin said. “You know, the staff did a great job putting this team together, but they got a lot of character. I've not had a bad day coaching this team. And I know that's hard for everybody to believe out there.”

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UCLA took a 43-29 lead into the second half, and led 90 percent of the game. UCLA also did the little things right that helped it win. They shot 38 percent from the field, while Arizona shot just 37 percent. They also won the rebounding battle 45-44, with UCLA having 16 offensive rebounds. The Bruins had three more assists, two more steals, and the same amount of blocks as Arizona as well. Further, they forced 11 Arizona turnovers, while UCLA turned the ball over just seven times. The Bruins also had more points off turnovers, fast-break points, and points in the paint. It was the little things that Cronin praised after the game.

“We have great people on our team. They're smart enough to understand that the least important thing on the stat sheet is total points. They get it,” Cronin said after the contest.

UCLA returns to the court on Friday night, hosting North Florida.