Mick Cronin to miss UCLA vs. UC Riverside due to Covid-19

UCLA will go through Thursday night’s game without head coach Mick Cronin. He will miss the matchup against UC Riverside due to COVID-19, the program announced.

Bruins associate head coach Darren Savino will take Cronin’s place as acting head coach for the game, which tips off at 8 p.m. PT.

UCLA brings a 4-2 record into Thursday’s game, with both losses coming to top-15 opponents. The Bruins are coming off a 69-65 loss to Gonzaga last week in Hawaii and mounted a comeback late. However, some late Bulldogs free throws sealed it, and UCLA headed back home with the loss.

Cronin pointed out how close the Bruins were, and said an early deficit was the difference — along with missed opportunities.

“We had our chances, we just didn’t play well early,” Cronin said, via the Los Angeles Times’ Ben Bolch. “We were just digging out all night and we didn’t make enough shots to dig out, but we never quit and that’s because we got the guys in there that got it going, that kept fighting for us. So that was important.”

Mick Cronin pumps the brakes on comparisons to 2019-20 team

UCLA enters this season with high expectations once again, checking in at No. 3 in the Pac-12 preseason poll. The Bruins are coming off a Sweet Sixteen appearance a year ago, and Cronin’s group could be gearing up for another run.

In fact, some have compared this season’s team to that of the 2019-20 group that could’ve made a run in the NCAA Tournament if COVID-19 didn’t force its cancellation. However, Cronin pumped the brakes on that a bit, pointing out the youth on this year’s roster. That team four years ago had some big-time returning production.

“That team wasn’t as young as this team,” Cronin said after UCLA defeated Long Island in the Maui Invitational. “They had everybody back. … I mean, I know everybody wants to say that, but that team was bigger, stronger, and older than this team. So we were able to eventually win with defense and rebounding. This team has more skill in certain areas, but we’re not as physical as that team.”

UCLA was unranked in the AP Top 25 this week, but the Bruins will have some opportunities to make statements in the games to come. Villanova and Ohio State are on the schedule in December, and Pac-12 play will get underway Dec. 30 as the calendar prepares to flip to 2024.