Mick Cronin says Pac-12 title does not change UCLA's approach

No. 4 UCLA deserves some degree of a pat on the back considering they’ve clinched the Pac-12’s regular season title with two games left on the schedule. However, Mick Cronin only wants that self-praise to last so long since he sees a lot still out there for the Bruins to accomplish.

Cronin said following Saturday’s clinching win over Colorado that it did nothing to change UCLA’s approach over this final week. He said this was the first step towards their long-term goals but that there are also several things left for them to compete for this week, including seeding in the NCAA Tournament.

“Zero. No. I told the guys that I don’t water thrown on me, man. I’m tired, worried about getting rest. (This) doesn’t change anything,” Cronin said. “Our goal along the way? A side effect is gonna be to try and win the Pac-12 and be able to stay in the West. So we’ve got more games to win to be able to try and accomplish that goal.”

“Also, we have the longest home-winning streak in the country that we take a lot of pride in. We’re focused on Arizona State…(They’re) where our focus will be,” said Cronin.

The Bruins sit at 25-4 overall and at 16-2 in the Pac-12 following their weekend win in Boulder. After locking up this accomplishment, they’ll now be a favorite come the conference tournament in Las Vegas. From there, they’ll be one of the top candidates to get a very high seed in March Madness.

That’s why, along with their home winning streak, Cronin wants to keep his team hungry this week. This was a big accomplishment for their program after a decade of not doing it but, overall, they still have plenty to play for with two games to go. That starts with the Sun Devils on Thursday night before they close the season against No. 8 Arizona in Pauley Pavilion.