UCLA Basketball: Is Mick Cronin the coach to return Bruins to glory?

UCLA Basketball program has always been considered one of great esteem and prominence. However, I would argue this reputation may be overstated and inaccurate.

UCLA Basketball under head coach John Wooden created one of the greatest dynasties in any sport as the team won 10 championships in 12 seasons. That is clearly not something to just brush aside, but what has the school done in the post-Wooden era?

The Bruins have one National Championship since 1975 and have most recently been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Being in the Pacific-12 Conference does not lend well to UCLA being viewed on a national scale. Yet, in 2016, the team became must watch television with the addition of a homegrown, presumed star freshman with NBA aspirations in Lonzo Ball.

After an impressive regular season, the Bruins under performed in the NCAA Tournament and lost in the Sweet Sixteen. That was the beginning of the team’s recent downfall that has included players being arrested in China, the firing of a well tenured coach in Steve Alford, and a disaster of a hiring process for the successor to Alford. So is there hope for this organization and team to turn things around and return to so-called prominence?

The simple answer to my question above is yes and let me explain why in three names: Mick Cronin, Tyger Campbell and Shareef O’Neal. Mick Cronin is the new head basketball coach for the UCLA Bruins and is getting a bad reputation off the bat due to reports of many coaches turning down the UCLA job, including Jamie Dixon, Luke Walton and Rick Barnes.

However, make no mistake, Cronin is not a scrub of a coaching hire. He has a plethora of head coaching experience at the young age of just 47 and has built a reputation as a good player’s coach. Mick was the former University of Cincinnati head coach and prior to his arrival in Cincy, the Bearcats were not well-known for being a basketball school. Cronin changed that viewpoint and took Cincinnati to the NCAA Tournament the last nine consecutive seasons.

Now to the athletes that will be suiting up for Mick Cronin. Tyger Campbell and Shareef O’Neal were both highly recruited coming out of high school in 2018. Both were ESPN Top 100 recruits and O’Neal was ranked 32nd overall in his class. O’Neal is also the son of none other than the Superman himself, Shaq Diesel. Campbell created national name recognition by playing for a high school powerhouse in La Lumiere where he saw increased playing time every season.

This pair of young players both missed their entire freshman seasons in 2018 due to injury, but are expected to return to the UCLA court this upcoming fall. I would argue just being around a college basketball program, even if not playing, gives a player a level of understanding and comfort.

Because of this, I expect both Campbell and O’Neal to provide a contribution greater than what may be expected from most players in their first season of college play. In closing, I am not claiming the Bruins will win a national championship next season, but I can guarantee they will be vastly improved from this past season and a very intriguing team to watch.