"We need to get these kids back home, academics matter": Mick Cronin continues to bemoan Big Ten schedules despite beating Indiana

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin has again expressed his worries about the Bruins' schedule in the Big Ten despite defeating Indiana.

During his postgame press conference after Friday's victory over the Indiana Hoosiers, Cronin claimed that the schedule might be taking a toll on his players.

“We need to get these kids back home, academics matter. For us, it’s three of these trips, plus the Big Ten Tournament. For me, I’d like one day off in between. In defense of the Big Ten coaches, we were used to one day in the Pac-12. That would be my request,” Mick said, as reported by On3.

The UCLA Bruins embarked on two road trips, playing two consecutive away games in just four days. They first faced the Illinois Fighting Illini on Tuesday, suffering a loss, before bouncing back with a win against the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday.

The Bruins head coach stressed how the frequent away games have affected his players academically and physically, calling for a change in the scheduling.

Cronin also emphasized the importance of adequate rest and recovery time for his players, specifically requesting that the team be granted at least one off day in between games.

Cronin leads Bruins back to winning ways

NCAA Basketball: UCLA at Illinois - Source: Imagn

Cronin's team bounced back from their previous loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini, securing a thrilling 72-68 victory over the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday, marking a triumphant return to winning form.

The Bruins dominated the first half, taking a 35-25 lead, but struggled in the second half, being outscored 43-37. However, their strong first-half performance proved enough to secure the win.

With the victory, the Bruins have improved their overall record to 19-7 for the season. They are positioned sixth in the highly competitive Big Ten standings.

After the game, Cronin talked about the team's resiliency to fight back after the loss to Illinois.

"I told these guys for the last two [games], even if we'd have come back and beat Illinois, it was good practice for us the other night to be down and have to execute trying to make a comeback."

"You're in that situation in March, we did a great job of that. We didn't get the dub, but we did a great job. Tonight, we got to learn how to play with the lead. You can watch film on both of those when we get home."

The Bruins will aim to carry their momentum forward as they prepare to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in their next game on Tuesday at the Pauley Pavilion.