Mick Cronin NLI Presser- Part 3
The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach, Mick Cronin, had a teleconference to discuss the signings of Jaylen Clark, Johnny Juzang, and other issues. This is part three of a multiple part series.
You have one more open roster spot and potentially more if anybody else leaves, do you think this is it for the signings or are you still looking for other guys?
Cronin: "It could be it; you never know. You just gave me a thousand scenarios about things that could happen. Guys seemingly go into the portal daily nationally. You never know.
"You have to remember there is international recruiting this day and age. You just don't what is going to happen, so it is always good to have one scholarship in case something comes available that you will better your program. If there is a player out there, so I am a proponent of having one available.
"Recruiting is like shaving. If you don't do it every day, you're going to get behind. Any coach that sits there and isn't continually monitoring what is out there, what's available, as you guys know from a guy we just talked about Johnny Juzang, guys moving up a class.
"Last summer, Oregon signed two players that I watched play in July, as part of the 2020 class. They ended up in Oregon when school started.
"There are just so many things that can happen out there with guys classifying up. As I said, the international stuff, guys going into the portal every day, so you never know what's going to happen.
"You have to stay on top of things and always explore your options of guys who are available."
How much impact id having Daishen Nix committed have on recruiting this spring with Jaylen Clark and Johnny Juzang?
Cronin: "I will tell you, Jaylen and Daishen have a relationship. This day and age, the world of basketball is very small, especially with guys in the top 100.
"They spend a lot of time with each other at camps. Jaylen and Daishen played on the same team. They competed against each other in different settings throughout high school and they are both really good guys. They definitely did have a relationship. I'm sure it helps.
"Johnny's situation is a little bit different. He obviously knows a lot of who our guys are. He played either with them or against them at different times, not just Daishen.
"Jaylen Clark played high school basketball with Jalen Hill when he was younger.
"Especially here, recruiting at UCLA, we have so many quality programs locally throughout California, especially in Southern California. The high school talent, I mean, these guys all know each other."
What do you think of the prospects of having Daishen Nix and Tyger Campbell on the same teams and possibly on the floor at the same time?
Cronin: "I have a saying guys - when you have to run too many plays, you don't have good enough players. I think the best offensive teams have multiple players that can make plays, and all you need to do is to teach them how to make sure they are spaced, how to use defensive weaknesses against their opponent and let them make plays.
"I think the more talent you can have, the more playmakers that you can have, the more shooters you can have, the more guys who can finish around the rim, it's amazing how you become a better coach.
"Now I did have a friend of mine, tell me I need to be real careful. I'm getting too many shooters, and I might get known as an offensive coach."
We won't let that happen…
Cronin: "Trust me, I want it to happen. It's a lot easier to win guys. I've had some teams, my first team as a head coach, 17 years ago, averaged 82 points a game at Murray State. It's a lot easier to win when you can put up numbers."
We may be getting ahead of ourselves, but I guess Mayor [Eric] Garcetti told some high-level staffer that this whole thing [COVID-19] could halt sporting events until 2021. Are there any thoughts on that? If you can start in January 2021, do you feel you could get in a condensed season?
Cronin: "I don't really want to get into that. I think all that stuff is really premature. I don't think any of our government has any total handle on the situation now.
"I think we are way, way ahead of ourselves when it comes to that. It's tough when you are standing in front of a microphone, and you are getting asked thousands of questions every day.
"You can give one answer that people run with, so I'm not going to do it right here, but what I will say, we're sitting here on what is it, April whatever. I don't know about you guys, but I have lost track of days in my back yard. Days seem like weeks to us right now. I just think it is really, really premature to talk about basketball season right now.
"Hopefully, we can get major league baseball started. Then if we play football, we're all going to be good. I just think right now; it is a day-to-day, week-to-week thing.
"You are dealing with something that nobody knows how it's going to play out. Everything is extremely premature to make any types of predictions relating to what is going on worldwide."