“Losers have no clue why they lose”: Mick Cronin reveals what it takes to become a “winner” by using Eric Dailey & Tyler Bilodeau as examples

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin made some insightful comments on the difference between a winner and a loser. Cronin cited Bruins' recent transfer players, Eric Dailey and Tyler Bilodeau, who joined the team from Oklahoma State and Oregon State, respectively.

“Eric Dailey and Tyler [Bilodeau] for instance, that’s why they came here — they wanted to win,” Cronin said per 247sports.com. “You know, both had great relationships with their coaching staffs where they were, although Eric’s got replaced — but they wanted to win. It just takes time to build habits. It takes time. Defense, attention to detail, shot selection, taking care of the ball and rebounding — those are the things that determine victory. Not talent.

“I always say this, you know — winners know why they win, losers have no clue why they lose. Losers think that they lose because of talent. They blame their teammates, they blame their coach, they blame everything else. Winners know why they win. They’re tougher than the other team."

"They’re tough enough to take care of the ball on the road and impose their will on the other team. They’re tough enough to defend. They’re able to follow a game plan, take away a team’s strength. They know that’s what determines victory. Not, ‘Hey, we had a good night shooting,’ or, ‘We had a bad night shooting.’ So, it takes time for guys to understand that,” he added.

NCAA Basketball: UCLA at Gonzaga - Source: Imagn

The Bruins have endured an up-and-down season with four consecutive losses on the road to North Carolina, Nebraska, Maryland, and Rutgers. They produced back-to-back wins against Iowa and Wisconsin to break the rut.

Mick Cronin unhappy about UCLA's Big Ten scheduling

Mick Cronin recently revealed his displeasure at UCLA men's basketball Big Ten travel schedules. The Bruins played in New York against North Carolina, at Nebraska, at Maryland, and at Rutgers over the past month and lost all four games.

In a news conference on Friday night following the Bruins’ 94-70 over Iowa, Cronin was asked if he noticed any "wear and tear" that Big Ten rivals UCLA and USC might have exhibited on their trip to the west and how it compared to what the Bruins endured during their journey to the east.

Cronin did not like the question and went off on a rant:

"The Big Ten teams get to come to Los Angeles, where it’s 70 degrees, one time a year. They don’t even have to switch hotels. We’re 12 miles apart. Are you kidding me? Please tell me you’re kidding me. Is this a plant? Is this a planted question? You cannot be serious. Meanwhile, we’ve seen the Statue of Liberty twice in the last three weeks while we were landing. We also saw the Capitol building. And we’re still got to go back. And then we’ve got to go back for the Big Ten tournament.”

UCLA still has road games against Indiana, Illinois, Purdue, and Northwestern before the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis. On Friday, the Bruins will travel to face Washington.