Mick Cronin discusses avoiding 'letdown' games

No. 4 UCLA has rang up four straight wins after hitting a brief midseason stumbling block, and coach Mick Cronin wants to be sure his team avoids further ‘letdown games’ as it puts the finishing touches on its NCAA Tournament resume.

The key for Cronin is winning at home.

“I just say this: There was a time I was a young coach, you studied guys who built programs,” Cronin said. “And in college basketball you have to win at home or you’re not going to build what you want to build if you don’t plant a flag at home. You have to find a way to do it. If you think you’re going to go out and make NCAA Tournaments by going undefeated on the road, you’re in trouble.”

UCLA has yet to lose a game at home this year.

It has lost two neutral-site games, both to ranked teams, while also losing a pair of road trips in Pac-12 plays (one to a ranked team). That’s a pretty solid resume.

And the blueprint for Cronin is simple. Win what you can on the road and defend the home court at all costs. Avoid those letdown games that can come back to bite you.

“We lost a couple games in the Pac-12 this year and everybody wants me to go off on my team, it’s like, what did you think we were going to do, go undefeated?” Cronin said. “Those are really good teams, they’re sold-out crowds, we’re the No. 1 team in the league coming to town. it’s going to happen. Those are hard games to win, man. Those are hard games to win because those teams are at home with great crowds and a great environment. So you have to return the favor.”

Mick Cronin loves his team

Suffice it to say Cronin is a huge fan of the team he’s been able to coach this year.

“We got good players,” Cronin said ahead of Tuesday’s practice in Los Angeles. They care. Like I’ve said many times, our guys on our team have been extremely loyal to the school and to the program, especially the older guys on our team. It gives you a chance to build something, and they’re good players. All you got to do is turn on the TV. Most teams are constructed of multiple transfers. This team is special. We don’t have one because we didn’t need one. Because our guys didn’t transfer. Our guys didn’t go to free agency and the open market, and all that type of stuff that goes on today.”

Good players certainly help to avoid letdown games, and Cronin’s squad has done a great job of that all year long.

UCLA will be back in action on Thursday with a home date against Stanford. The game will tip off at 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2.