Coach Mick Cronin Ejects Player After Flagrant Foul in UCLA’s Loss to Michigan State
Tom Izzo, the Hall of Fame coach at Michigan State, has been in the game for over 30 years, yet he witnessed something novel on Tuesday night.
During a game where the Spartans triumphed 82-59, UCLA’s coach Mick Cronin ejected one of his players before officials had even completed their review of a flagrant foul. The incident occurred with 4:26 remaining in the game, as Bruins center Stephen Jamerson II committed a hard foul on Michigan State’s Carson Cooper during a breakaway dunk attempt. Cooper fell hard and ended up hitting Jamerson in the face, leading to intervention from his teammates.
Cronin took swift action, not waiting for the referees. He pulled Jamerson aside, directed him to the bench, and then pointed him toward the locker room. Jamerson initially attempted to defend himself, but that effort was futile. UCLA trainer Dave Andrews then led him off the court as fans from Michigan State waved goodbye.
“True toughness is about how you compete and work daily. Steve is a good kid but made some poor choices,” Cronin remarked after the game. “If you want to be tough, you need to step up during the game—like in rebounding or blocking out.”
According to reports, the foul was particularly rough, but the Detroit News commended Cronin for his response, suggesting it reflected his commitment to smart basketball, a sentiment echoed by Cooper.
Izzo, now in his 31st season at Michigan State, found humor in Cronin’s actions: “I think he upgraded it to a vicious 2, right? It’s the first time I’ve seen a coach do that, and it definitely seems like Mick. He’ll handle it.”
This defeat marked a tough stretch for UCLA, who faced consecutive losses by 20 points or more for the first time since 1944-45, as reported by ESPN.
Meanwhile, Cronin’s frustrations continued postgame when asked about fan chants for Xavier Booker, a former Spartan now at UCLA. His response was pointed: “I don’t care about the students from other teams. I’d like to take credit for the worst question ever asked to me.”
