Mick Cronin was not the most heated coach Monday in Las Vegas.
For the first time, possibly ever, I think he actually got beat in that department.

Some seasons start slow.
Some begin unremarkably.
But the Bruins are looking to continue the momentum from their jackpot of a start.
No. 22 UCLA men’s basketball (1-0) takes on North Florida (1-0) at Pauley Pavilion on Friday night in its home debut.

This post was updated on Nov. 6 at 2:07 a.m.
For most high school athletes, graduation marks the end of their basketball careers.
Only 3.6% of high school basketball players go on to compete in college – a metric that gets even slimmer when looking only at Division I play, according to the NCAA.

This story was updated Nov. 3 at 9:19 p.m.
 
No. 22 UCLA men’s basketball (1-0) opened its season with an 84-75 victory over No. 5 Arizona (0-1) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, overcoming a career-best 38-point performance from Wildcat forward Ivan Kharchenkov and a furious second-half comeback to deliver coach Mick Cronin’s second win over a top-five opponent in 2026.

This post was updated Nov. 3 at 9:12 p.m.
LAS VEGAS — A night out in Sin City usually means gambling and making bets.
Perhaps for the Bruins, it was betting on themselves and gambling on loose balls and contests.

Be at your best when your best is needed.
Coach John Wooden’s sentiments continue to echo through Pauley Pavilion and Westwood more than three decades after the Bruins’ most recent title and more than four decades since the last one with the historic coach.