Mick Cronin out of UCLA team? Fiery coach’s heated press conference sparks buzz among teammates after Michigan State loss

Mick Cronin has long been known for his edge, accountability, and unreserved desire for toughness. That edge became something much more flammable on Tuesday night in East Lansing. His team's performance in Tuesday night's 82-59 loss to Michigan State did not satisfy him. Cronin was questioned about the chanting at Xavier Booker, a former Spartan player who transferred to UCLA, by the Michigan State student section. So, a question he got during his postgame news conference may have made him even more irate. Tuesday night, UCLA lost to No. 15 Michigan State by more than 20 points for the second time in a row. During the game, Bruins coach Mick Cronin seemed to remove one of his own players.UCLA center Steven Jamerson II, a former Michigan State student, was punished for a flagrant after fouling Carson Cooper from behind on a dunk attempt with 4:26 remaining in the Bruins' 82-59 defeat, with the team down 77-50.Michigan State supporters yelled the name of former five-star prospect Xavier Booker, a center for the Boston Bruins, during the game. After the game, Cronin got into a heated argument with a reporter who inquired about the Booker chants, saying:"I could give a rat's ass about the other team's student section. I would like to give you a kudos for the worst question I've ever been asked.. You really think I care about the other team's student section?”Cronin then accused the reporter of "raising your voice at me." Cronin said:"Yeah, you are.. Everybody is standing here listening to you. Everybody. This is on camera. They can hear you. I answered the question. I can give a rat's ass about the other team's student section."When UCLA lost against the Michigan State Spartans 82-59, the coach's fury erupted in a way that Bruins supporters hardly ever saw. With just over four minutes left, UCLA center Steven Jamerson II fouled Carson Cooper hard during a dunk attempt, causing the team to fall behind 77-50. Authorities determined a flagrant. Cronin got farther.Cronin then explained after the game:"You know, true toughness is how you compete and how you go to work every day. Steve's a good kid. He made a bad decision… But if you want to be a tough guy, you need to do it during the game, for a blockout, for a rebound…”He said: "So, I was thoroughly disappointed; the guy was defenseless in the air. I know Steve was trying to block the shot, but the game's a 25-point game. You don't do that."Coach Tom Izzo of the Spartans, whose team improved to 21-5, 11-4 in the Big Ten, had never seen such a strange situation before. Izzo made a joke:"I guess he upgraded that to a flagrant 2, huh?.. That's the first time I saw a coach do it, but that sounds like Mick. So, he'll get that straightened out."Since then, the incident has gone viral, igniting a discussion on topics like player discipline, pure coaching ethics, and how to handle the growing frustrations within the Bruins team as they strive to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament.He opened himself when questioned about the chants after the game. He referred to it as the worst question he had ever received. He questioned the tone. He gave a forceful shove back. To put things in perspective, UCLA had just suffered a 30-point loss to No. 1 Michigan over the weekend. The Bruins are now 17-9 overall and 9-6 in Big Ten play after suffering yet another setback by more than 20 points, this time to a highly regarded Michigan State squad. Westwood hasn't had consecutive blowouts like this in many generations.