Mick Cronin trashes value of Big Ten Tournament, only cares about NCAA Tournament

The UCLA Bruins were able to lock themselves into a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament after finishing the season with a win over USC while Wisconsin got upset. That had head coach Mick Cronin excited, not because it would be easier to win the Big Ten Tournament but because they’d have fewer games to play.

Cronin explained following the game that he doesn’t like playing conference tournaments. That’s because, in his experience, it adds to a team’s wear and tear and he puts more value on the NCAA Tournament and being ready for that.

“I’m not a big believer in conference tournaments,” Mick Cronin said. “At Cincinnati my last three years we either won them or we won the last two. We played in the finals like every year in the American on Sunday. It wears you out because the next tournament is what matters.”

Mick Cronin has been a head coach since 2003 with Murray State. While there, he made the NCAA Tournament twice, only in the seasons he won his conference tournament, as is often the case for mid-majors. While at Cincinnati, he didn’t need to win his conference tournament to make the NCAA Tournament, which he did consistently. In his two final seasons there, which he won the AAC Tournament, Cronin took his teams no further than the Round of 32. He has yet to win a conference tournament at UCLA.

This season is the first for UCLA in the Big Ten, leading to dramatic changes in travel. Those travel changes are something that Cronin hopes could help the Bruins ahead of traveling for the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.

“My biggest fear all year has been not, you know, everybody wanted to panic [when] we lost a few in early January. My concern is get better and try to get to March healthy and fresh. So, the cumulative effect of the travel is what concerns me. So, we’ve tried to handle it in a way. It’s why we took two days off this week. We’re gonna take the next two days off. We’ve got to make sure these guys are fresh when the Big Dance starts,” Cronin said.

“Because around here, man, they ain’t gonna hang no banner if we win the Big Ten Tournament. Do you think they’re gonna hang a banner if we win the Big Ten Tournament? A little small one in our practice gym. It ain’t going in Pauley [Pavilion]. You don’t win the national championship around here, they don’t hang the banner out there. It’s just the way it is…they might give us a t-shirt. Too many people like Adam and women’s soccer and those guys, they’re winning national championships around here in all kinds of stuff. Gymnastics, softball, they ain’t worried about the Big Ten Tournament Championship.”

The Big Ten Tournament will begin on Wednesday, March 12th. However, UCLA won’t be in action until Friday, March 14th, and won’t know their opponent until the day before. After that, the NCAA Tournament begins on March 18th with the First Four. The First round, which UCLA will presumably begin in, starts on March 20th.