One of college basketball’s loudest voices in the NIL, transfer portal and revenue-sharing era, UCLA’s Mick Cronin kept it simple following Sunday night’s second-round NCAA Tournament loss to UConn — the Bruins need a larger payroll if they expect to be one of the nation’s annual title threats.
Since leading the Bruins to a Final Four appearance and two trips to the Sweet 16 over his first four seasons at the helm, Cronin’s team has not moved past the second round since, a disappointing 73-57 setback to the Huskies representing the latest postseason exit.
Asked if there are any changes coming from a game-plan approach or roster construction to move deeper into March Madness next season, Cronin was blunt with his response for the Bruins, who were playing without top scorer Tyler Bilodeau due to injury.
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“I have no … right now, I’m worried about tonight and consoling the guys,” Cronin said. “I’d like about five more million (dollars) … there’s my answer.”
With a rotation constructed mostly of former transfers this season, the Bruins (24-12) finished sixth in the Big Ten and earned a No. 7 seed before taking out UCF in their NCAA Tournament opener. Cronin’s appeals for more funding as it relates to roster spending circles back to a previous point he made earlier this month about revenue-sharing and it being uneven across college athletics.
Coaching at a school that earmarks much of its $20.5 million allotment to football players, Cronin is advocating for the ability to exceed the revenue-sharing cap to aid with roster retention.
“You should be able to go over the revenue share to be able to retain players,” Cronin said before the NCAA Tournament. “Very few of these guys are going to be able to retire on (NIL money), so we need to encourage guys not to transfer.”
College basketball’s transfer portal opens for a 15-day period on April 7.
“We should do everything we can to stop these kids from transferring too much because nobody is going to graduate,” Cronin said after a win over Nebraska this season. “These kids aren’t going to have the grades if they’re transferring three or four times, so we got to do everything we can.”
What’s next for Cronin at UCLA
Cronin was whistled for a technical foul late during UCLA’s 16-point loss to UConn and blamed the Bruins’ setback on execution failures. The crispness that UCLA showed down the stretch this season, with six wins over its final eight games prior to the NCAA Tournament, never materialized against the Huskies.
“If we had practice tomorrow, we’d be running. We don’t foul jump shooters. So, you know, it was destructive to our chances,” Cronin said. “Given that we were struggling to score, just, you know, guys taking shots they have no chance to make. Twice we fouled them. Lack of discipline goes on the coach.
“I thought that the bottom line was it was 5-on-5 and they played harder than us. Their defense was better than our offense, and I take responsibility for that. Got to have your guys ready for the opponent and what the opponent’s going to bring to the table, not just with what they run offensively, but what they do defensively and their physicality defensively.”
The Bruins lose several key starters for next season’s team, including their leading scorer Bilodeau and guards Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark. Dent averaged 13.3 points and 7.5 assists per game this season, while Clark contributed 11.5 points. More minutes in the backcourt are coming for Eric Freeny and Trent Perry should take on a starring role as a top offensive threat, assuming both re-sign with the school.
Cronin currently has two commits in the 2026 class, including a recent pledge from four-star forward Joe Philon. The 6-foot-8 frontcourt player has a chance to be an immediate contributor given his talent level.
“Coach Cronin was really honest with me and transparent about where I needed to get better,” Philon told 247Sports this month. “He had a plan for how I’m going to improve, and he kept it realistic, and I feel like that was the biggest thing for me to make me comfortable in my commitment.
