Mick Cronin credits players for turnaround, warns about complacency: ‘Peacock today, feather duster tomorrow’

UCLA has answered a four-game losing streak and a stretch of five losses in six games with a four-game win streak.

Following the latest one on Monday in an 82-76 victory over USC, Mick Cronin gave credit to the Bruins for figuring it out. If nothing else, they’re playing harder and, as such, are back to earning the results they want.

“Look, guys. I can want to win all I want, okay. The hungry dog gets the bone, okay. The hungry dog gets the bone,” said Cronin. “Kids are fighting their hearts out to win games and that’s what wins games. That’s, you know – performance and toughness. So you got to give them all the credit. You just got to keep digging in, keep pounding nails.”

UCLA fell from 10-1 to 11-6 but is now back up to 15-6 overall following the last five weeks.

With that, the Bruins are playing better and closer to where they were over the start of the season on both sides of the ball. During the losing skid, they allowed 78.5 ppg. (48.6% FG) while posting just 65.5 ppg. (41.1% FG, 22.3% 3PT) themselves. Now, over the win streak, they’re scoring 81.5 ppg. (52.3% FG, 39.2% 3PT) while giving up a few fewer at 72.3 ppg. and forcing 13 turnovers a game.

However, Cronin doesn’t want UCLA to be just okay with this stretch. Their season has taken two turns already since the holidays and could very well take another in conference play if they don’t keep it up.

“Don’t spread your wings because peacock today, feather duster tomorrow,” said Cronin.

Cronin on scheduling issues in Big Ten: ‘I don’t know what the answer is’

Following UCLA’s win against Washington on Friday, Cronin shared some of his thoughts on the Big Ten’s scheduling in the Big Ten but admitted that he doesn’t have an immediate fix for the problems.

“We played Friday, Tuesday, Friday and we’ve got to turn around and play on the road again on Monday,” Cronin said. “Play again Thursday. So the schedule for all of the West Coast teams? I don’t know what the answer is but it’s — and then I looked. I finally looked, like, Michigan State? Their last seven or eight games have all been against Top-20, Top-30 teams. So, it’s just — I don’t know what the answer is for the Big Ten. Not sure.

“All I know is we’re at SC on Monday, correct? So, we’ve got to get home. We’re going to get home at two in the morning, three in the morning. We should’ve just had this game at midnight. I mean, when you sell your soul to television, that’s just the way it is. That’s college sports. We’ve sold our soul to television.

“We’ll get home in the middle of the night, get some rest, and prepare as best can to play a team that played on Wednesday. Probably took Thursday off and is focused on us while we’re up here. So there’s a lot of inequities in this thing. I’m sure at some point later in the year, it’ll go our way. I haven’t found that yet but I’m hoping.”