Stephen A. Smith defends Mick Cronin after coach called UCLA players 'soft, delusional'

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith defended UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin after the latter called his team soft and delusional following a blowout loss to Michigan.

The 94-75 loss came at home with the No. 24 Wolverines controlling the game from the get-go. No. 22 UCLA fell behind by 10 at halftime and could never recover.

For context, Cronin’s original comments are below.

“I mean, we’re soft, aside from, to be fair to you, obviously they have a unique skill set, the way they shoot the ball, but we’re soft,” Cronin said postgame. “I have to run on the court to get guys to play hard. It’s crazy, you know? And it’s every day. I’m tired of it. It’s every day. I have the most energy of anybody at practice every day. I’m upset with everybody in that locker room, my assistant coaches and my players. I mean, I don’t need to do anything else. I almost got 500 wins. I’m only 53. You’d think I’m coaching the Lakers. I mean, it’s a joke. It’s a joke. 

“But yet I come in and I have more passion and energy and pride than everybody, and that’s the problem. The truth of it has been it’s really hard to coach people that are delusional. The hungry dog gets the bone. We got guys that think they’re way better than they are. They’re nice kids. They’re completely delusional about who they are. The problem, I told them, I said, the toughest guy in the room can’t be me every day. It can’t. It can’t.”

Stephen A. Smith defends Mick Cronin’s comments

Smith was baffled by Cronin’s statement, but in a good way!

“I don’t know much about Mick Cronin, let me say this: He can coach my team any day,” Smith said on First Take. “I loved what he said. I applaud this man. I’m looking at this guy right now. His career record as a coach Molly is 491-228, that is a 68.3 winning percentage at Murray State, where he started, he was 93-69. At Cincinnati, he was 296-147, that’s 66% winning percentage, 66.8 at UCLA over the last several years, he is 126-57. That’s a 69% winning percentage. He has been to a Final Four. He has been to three Sweet 16s. Last year, they were like 16-17 and missed the NCAA tournament. This year, he is 11-4.

“What he is saying is, damn it, it ain’t good enough. I have expectations of excellence, and I’m seeing a team that are nice kids that can play, but they don’t want it bad enough, and I got a staff that’s letting them get away with it. That’s what he’s saying.” 

Cronin’s track record speaks for itself and that’s where Smith backed him up. Especially after a flat performance against Michigan.

“And I don’t blame him one bit, because when he sits up there and says, ‘Yo, I want it more than you,’ you know how damning that is against players and assistant coaches,” Smith said. “He’s 11-4 He ain’t 4-11. He’s 11-4 They’re a top 25 team in the nation, and he’s like, it’s not good enough, because he’s trying to win a championship, and he knows what he’s seeing. Ain’t gonna get it done. And no coach says that about players, if they can’t play, if they ain’t good enough, he says, I gotta go out and get good enough players. That’s not what he said. He’s saying, no, we got talent. These brothers don’t want it. 

“They don’t want it, and I got a coaching staff that ain’t holding them accountable. So if I’m those players, I’d be worried about my scholarship, and if I’m those assistant coaches, I’d be worried about my job. And guess what, when you’re in pursuit of excellence, that’s how the hell it should be.”