With every verbal jab, the expletives flying like sweat off his players’ bodies, Mick Cronin reinforced a message about the way his team needed to play.
“Knock somebody on their ass!” the UCLA men’s basketball coach yelled during practice Thursday.
“Arizona’s gonna … wipe you guys out!” Cronin bellowed.
“You guys who are afraid to hit somebody, you’re not gonna play tomorrow!” Cronin continued.
As if taking his coach’s cue, forward Eric Dailey Jr. told teammates to “wake the … up!” before repeating the phrase for emphasis.
Only a few minutes into practice, it became deafeningly clear that the Bruins weren’t preparing for West Georgia anymore.