UCLA’s Mick Cronin says he’ll work ‘24/7′ to improve roster

The conversations have already started.

What are you hearing? Who’s available? Who’s going to be available?

UCLA Bruins basketball coach Mick Cronin has been bouncing those questions off a new ally as part of his latest roster rebuild.

If all goes well, Max Feldman, the Bruins’ assistant general manager, could help outfit the team with the qualities it’s been missing over three straight disappointing seasons.

High-level athleticism. A defensive bent. Toughness.

Not having those things has led to missing the NCAA Tournament one season and making it as a No. 7 seed in each of the last two seasons, resulting in cross-country flights and second-round exits after losing to superior teams.

Given that the Bruins just showed they needed nearly an entire season to play the sort of defense that Cronin demands, they should prioritize players with multiple seasons of eligibility once the transfer portal opens April 7.

At the very least, UCLA will need a starting-caliber center who can rebound and defend, plus another point guard and a couple of players on the wing. That point guard could play alongside Trent Perry and Skyy Clark, or replace Clark if his request for a waiver that would grant him another season of eligibility is denied.

Clark confirmed to the California Post that he would like to return next season.

“I mean, yeah, absolutely, for sure,” Clark said after the Bruins’ 73–57 loss to UConn on Sunday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. “We’ll see what happens.” 

Perry’s return is no sure thing given what’s likely a soaring price tag and abundance of options. He declined to discuss his future, saying he wanted to respect his team and the seniors who had just played their final game rather than talk about what he might do next.

Cronin was also restrained in his remarks when asked if his approach needed to change after a third consecutive season that ended before the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend.

It’s no secret that he’s struggled with roster construction and player evaluation in the NIL era, leading to deficient rosters that didn’t fit his strengths as a coach. That’s where Feldman is supposed to pay dividends as part of a front office that Cronin would like to expand.

Cronin’s only message to reporters Sunday was that he would like an extra $5 million to pay his players.

But which ones does he want back? Beyond Perry, who the coach has been publicly lobbying to keep for more than a month now, he’ll face some complex decisions.

Despite his obvious value when he’s locked in and making shots, forward Eric Dailey Jr. might have proven too erratic to spend starter-level money on for a third consecutive year. Dailey told the California Post that he had not made any decisions about his future.

Given his ability to stretch the floor and make 3-pointers, Xavier Booker would be worth retaining as a backup big man should he accept a backup’s salary. Guard Eric Freeny and forward Brandon Williams would also appear to be players Cronin would want to retain if they would accept similar backup roles at the right price.

Joining the Bruins will be freshman forwards Joe Philon and Javonte Floyd, who fit the Cronin mold of defense and toughness. But their impact could be limited in their first college seasons.

It’s important to note that Cronin has struck out on local high school prospects from the last two loaded classes in Southern California, which needs to change for his longterm sustainability. Just ask former UCLA coach Ben Howland, whose failures to land enough top local talent late in his decade-long run with the Bruins accelerated his dismissal.

Barring a premature retirement à la Tony Bennett or Jay Wright, Cronin will return after agreeing to a new contract that runs through the 2029–30 season. But patience could be running out for these kinds of results at a place that fancies itself as a basketball school.

While UCLA fans don’t expect their team to contend for a national title every season, they do expect their team to be nationally relevant and vie for a conference title. The Bruins haven’t been close to that threshold for three years now.

And so a coach who is relentlessly demanding will be equally relentless when it comes to restocking his roster.

“Literally, until May 1,” Cronin told the California Post last week, “I’ll be in 24/7 mode.”

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