In its first 12 months within the Huge Ten, UCLA is steamrolling in the direction of an NCAA event bid after a really profitable season. Mick Cronin and firm received off to a blazing sizzling begin earlier than a tough stretch in the midst of the 12 months, however they’re now constructing momentum once more. The Bruins continued to take action on Friday night time with a 72-68 win over Indiana in Bloomington.
After all, the Hoosiers have had a tough season and head coach Mike Woodson can be stepping down and retiring on the finish of the 12 months. Whereas Indiana continues to slide additional away from the NCAA Match lower line, the main focus has begun to shift to who its subsequent head coach can be and Cronin is a reputation that has come up repeatedly if he would need to depart UCLA.
After beating Woodson and firm, Cronin addressed being a giant identify on the Indiana teaching sizzling boards, through Jack Ankony of Sports activities Illustrated.
“You recognize what, right here’s how I take a look at that stuff,” Cronin stated, per Ankony. “I is perhaps in your sizzling boards. They could need my a** fired on our sizzling boards. That’s how I take a look at that. So hey, man, I keep off the new boards. I’m simply telling you, man, that’s simply the way in which it’s. You possibly can go from one board to the opposite actual fast. Employed then fired, you already know what I’m saying.”
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The Indiana teaching search can be one of many largest tales of this offseason, however Cronin and the Bruins have loads of work to do earlier than that buzz hits a fever pitch across the former Cincinnati head man. UCLA is getting near being an NCAA Match lock as a No. 5 or 6 seed in the mean time, so Cronin may have his focus solely on getting his workforce into the second weekend of March Insanity and past.
UCLA can also be in prime place to get a doable double bye within the Huge Ten Match subsequent month in Indianapolis. After this huge highway win, Cronin’s group is 10-5 in convention play, which is correct there with Wisconsin (9-4) and Maryland (9-5) for the fourth seed and the ultimate double bye slot.
The Bruins have video games in opposition to Minnesota, Ohio State, Northwestern and USC with a blockbuster highway sport in opposition to No. 7 Purdue sandwiched in between. If UCLA can go 4-1 in these video games, it ought to have the ability to safe that double bye and make a push for the convention event title.