UCLA HC Mick Cronin has high hopes from Eric Dailey after promising sophomore season

UCLA coach Mick Cronin shared his thoughts on incoming junior guard Eric Dailey Jr. during a recent interview with CBS' Jon Rothstein. An X post was shared by Rothstein on Monday, which showed footage of Cronin on "Inside College Basketball."

Cronin was candid about his expectations of Dailey after a strong first season with the Bruins. He highlighted Dailey’s potential to be a difference maker in the team's offensive production. When asked what would change for the program when Dailey produces at a high level, Cronin was direct about his hopes.

“I’m a big believer in the stuff that you just said," Cronin said. "To break it down analytically, it’s not rocket science. If you look at my teams, if we score 70+, we’re usually 14-2 or 16-0. So, you gotta have guys that can score. You have to get the ball in the basket.

For Cronin, Dailey already showed flashes of his offensive upside.

“I think last year Eric had a lot of flashes for us and it’s a progression for him of how do I utilize him and how does he pick his spots?” Cronin said. “He’s a guy that they used at center a lot at Oklahoma because they were small, but that’s not who he is. He literally had a practice this morning and had 50 points where he never missed a shot.”

Jon Rothstein

@JonRothstein

UCLA was 16-2 last season in games where Eric Dailey scored in double figures. Mick Cronin knows he's a major key for the Bruins in 2025-26. 🎧 (Apple) 🎧 (Spotify)

Dailey started his collegiate career at Oklahoma State, where he averaged 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds on 49.6% shooting as a freshman. After one year, he entered the transfer portal and committed to UCLA in April 2023.

In his first season with the Bruins, Dailey averaged 11.4 ppg and 4.0 rpg on 50.7% shooting. With another year of experience under his belt, Cronin believes Dailey could take the next step and become one of UCLA’s focal points.

Mick Cronin gives candid take on UCLA, Big Ten travel challenges

UCLA coach Mick Cronin voiced his opinion on the travel demands of playing in the Big Ten in his latest interview on "Inside College Basketball." He discussed his solution to handling the difficulties by building a better squad.

Cronin downplayed the constant chatter about long flights and hectic schedules.

“Get a better team,” Cronin said on Monday. “At the end of the day, the Lakers and Celtics in the ’80s used to have to fly back and forth to play those seven-game great NBA Finals. And I really mean it, it sounds funny, get a better team. Look, our women’s team was excellent last year. They were No. 1 in the country for a long time and went to the Final Four.”

Cronin recognized that college basketball has its unique hurdles compared to professional sports. He highlighted that for student-athletes, travel wasn’t just about games but balancing academics with athletics.

“Our kids go to school, they do,” Cronin said. “Especially at UCLA, the No. 1 public institution in America. So, the people that your star guys are sitting in class with are the best of the best. Academics is part of it.”

The Bruins’ move to the Big Ten reportedly created logistical challenges, but Cronin kept his focus on roster improvement. Despite the growing impact of NIL and the transfer portal era, UCLA made notable offseason moves. It includes landing reigning Mountain West Player of the Year Donovan Dent from New Mexico.