ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg expressed his disappointment with the way UCLA men’s basketball head coach Mick Cronin acted during and after a loss Feb. 17 to Michigan State in sending forward/center Steven Jamerson II to the locker room over a hard foul, in addition to Cronin’s reaction to a question asked by a reporter after the game.
Cronin, a Cincinnati native who attended La Salle High School, coached the Cincinnati Bearcats from 2006 to 2019 before leaving for UCLA.
“That wasn’t the worst question he’s ever been asked, I can tell you that for sure,” Greenberg said. “We’ve all been asked stupid questions. … There’s two parts to this story. First of all, the breakaway, transition play and the alleged flagrant foul that Mick decided to send his guy to the locker room. If that happened in the middle of a game, that was a good chase-down, try to make a play. But that St. John’s-Providence game about a week ago, alright? Mick thought, you know what, how is this going to be perceived?”
“How he should’ve handled it is real simple,” Greenberg added. “The kid comes out of the game. He puts his arm around him and says, ‘You know what? I appreciate your effort, but that’s not how we do things around here. It’s a 25-point game. I understand that you tried to make a play on the ball. But next time, let’s make a better decision with that.’ … This is a teaching opportunity, and I thought Mick handled that poorly.”
“And then in terms of the media – your team’s not playing well,” Greenberg continued. “You’re frustrated with your basketball team. Don’t take it out on a kid from the school newspaper. Look, your job, Mick, is to coach your team. Your job is to recruit players that can give you a chance to be competitive in the Big Ten. The student? … He has a journalism professor who can help him with asking questions. … That’s frustration. It’s unacceptable. It’s inappropriate. I’m disappointed. I consider Mick a dear friend. It’s not out of character. He’s gotta focus and pour yourself into your team. And recruit better and get your team to play better. And don’t worry about the questions.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Seth Greenberg: Mick Cronin’s behavior unacceptable, inappropriate