“I’ve got to defend my players”: UCLA coach Mick Cronin expands on why he tried to get “thrown out” of clash vs. Maryland

UCLA coach Mick Cronin was ejected with six minutes left in the team's 79-61 loss against Maryland on Friday. Unlike the heated press conference outburst on Tuesday, where the coach bashed his team and staff members after their loss to Michigan, his latest move showed his support for the players.

While speaking to the media after Friday's game, Cronin claimed that he was eyeing the ejection as a show of support for his team against improper officiating. (Start at 1:07)

"I tried to get thrown out," he said. "I had enough. I sent a message. So, I’m tired of it. I know that we’re the outsider, us, USC and Oregon, but that was ridiculous.

"And that doesn’t take anything away from Maryland. They’re a very good team at home. But, I’ve got to defend my players. If you can just mug guys, chop their arms off and throw them out of the way, it’s hard to run any offense."

UCLA trailed by nine points (60-51) when Mick Cronin was sent back to the locker room. Maryland garnered 19 points in the remaining 5:11 while the Bruins scored 10, losing the contest 79-61.

Mick Cronin said that he was particularly frustrated by officiating after the break, expressing that his team was being prevented from bouncing back into the game. (Start at 0:13)

"In defense of my guys, I didn’t think we were given any chance to win in the second half. I let Jeff Anderson (official) and I hit the showers. I told him, 'You’ve got to give us a chance. You’re not giving us a chance to win.'"

Stephen A. Smith backs up Mick Cronin's criticism of players

The UCLA coach critiqued his players for overestimating their talents and lacking the hunger to go the extra mile on the court during the press conference after their 94-75 loss to Michigan. With that, he called his players "soft" and "delusional."

As fans and analysts debated the 2023 Pac-12 Coach of the Year's harsh words, NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith had nothing but support for Cronin's honesty. He also warned the UCLA players for their scholarships and the coaching staff of their jobs.

"I don’t know much about Mick Cronin. Let me say this, he can coach my team any day," Smith said on ESPN's First Take (Timestamp: 2:10). "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 and 228. That is a 68.3 winning percentage."

The Bruins have now lost three straight contests in Big Ten play and are 11-5 on the season (2-3 conference). They will next head to the Jersey Mike’s Arena to face Rutgers on Monday.