"This already looks nothing like what UCLA basketball is supposed to be. The defense is lagging, the roster is lacking and nobody seems to know what to do about it. A second consecutive loss has dropped the Bruins squarely into bubble territory for the NCAA tournament, somewhere a team that wears these four letters across its chest should never be. They are a middling 10-5 with no compelling victories and a .500 record early in Big Ten play."
"Even a Pac-12 regular-season title couldn't save Howland, who was dismissed after the Bruins lost in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Cronin doesn't appear in danger of a similar destiny given his recent contract extension that runs through the 2029-30 season. Unless both sides negotiated a settlement of his buyout or Cronin took a job elsewhere, UCLA would owe him $22.5 million if it moved on before April 1 and $18 million at the same point in 2027."
UCLA men's basketball is underperforming defensively and lacks roster depth, producing an uninspiring 10-5 record and a .500 start in Big Ten play. A second straight loss pushed the team into NCAA tournament bubble territory, risking a postseason absence for the second time in three seasons. The previous coach was dismissed after an opening-round tournament loss despite a conference title. Mick Cronin holds a contract through 2029-30 with large buyout protections, making immediate dismissal costly. Attention turns to on-court fixes to reverse the slide, including jump-starting Donovan Dent, who showed aggressive drives and scoring potential late against Iowa.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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