UCLA got blown out by Michigan State 82-59 in men’s basketball Tuesday night, but that might not have been the worst part for head coach Mick Cronin.
Cronin ejected one of his own players for a hard foul when the Bruins were already down 27 points, and when answering the media’s questions after the game, he sparred with a reporter.
Cronin Ejected His Own Player?
Cronin ejected center Steven Jamerson II for a hard foul from behind on a Spartan dunk attempt.
The play was called a flagrant foul, but not a flagrant 2, which would’ve resulted in Jamerson’s ejection.
Cronin handled that part himself, sending Jamerson to the locker room instead of simply sitting him on the bench.
“We just got thoroughly outplayed. Michigan State [was] coming off a loss on the road. They got guys who have been in their program. They got a lot of pride in their program.”
— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) February 18, 2026
Coach Cronin, speaking on Tuesday night after UCLA’s loss pic.twitter.com/sQ3oX09BQl
“Steve’s a good kid. He made a bad decision,” Cronin said postgame, as reported by ESPN. “But if you want to be a tough guy, you need to do it during the game, for a blockout, for a rebound. So, I was thoroughly disappointed; the guy was defenseless in the air. I know Steve was trying to block the shot, but the game’s a 25-point game. You don’t do that.”
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo joked about Cronin’s decision after the game.
“I guess he upgraded that to a flagrant 2, huh?” Izzo said, as reported by ESPN. “That’s the first time I saw a coach do it, but that sounds like Mick. So, he’ll get that straightened out.”
Cronin Criticizes Reporter in Scrum
Later in that same press scrum with Cronin, the UCLA coach took offense at a reporter’s question about the Michigan State student section chanting the name of Xavier Booker, who transferred from MSU to UCLA.
“I could give a rat’s ass about the other team’s student section,” he responded.
The reporter tried to ask a follow-up question before Cronin cut him off.
“I would like to give you a kudos for the worst question I’ve ever been asked,” Cronin said. “You really think I care about the other team’s student section?”
When the reporter tried to defend his questioning, Cronin asked him if he was “raising your voice at me.”
“Yeah, you are. C’mon, dude,” Cronin said. “Yes you were. Everybody is standing here listening to you. Everybody. This is on camera. They can hear you. I answered the question. I can give a rat’s ass about the other team’s student section. I coach UCLA; I don’t care about Michigan State students. Who cares?”
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