In Reply to: One has to wonder... posted by BuscH on April 11, 2025 at 16:19:10
I don't think Cronin and Mara were a good match, but one can't deny that Mara changed everything when he went into the game. The downside for Cronin is that Mara changed UCLA's defensive capabilities - and from Cronin's perspective probably not in a good way and on offense the ball probably needed to go through Mara.
For Mara to have thrived at UCLA I think Cronin would have had to devise new defensive schemes and philosophies both offensively and defensively. IMO opinion it would have been worth it. Mara is no Alcindor/Abdul-Jabbar but he is still a game changer. One can see how effective he will become with continued improvement. He really changes everything on both sides of the ball for both teams. If he can get just a little stronger I think by the time he leaves college ball he is going to be a force to reckon with. I for one am really sorry to see him go.
Just projecting here, but I think Cronin was willing to make some necessary changes to accommodate Mara's unique skills, but on the other side I can also imagine that some part of Cronin might just be a little relieved. It's all too bad. Maybe none of this had to happen, but maybe it was inevitable. As Buddy Boy in "The Apartment" used to say, "that's the way the cookie crumbles." In any event, these are the times we are living through. Good luck to the lad and time to move on.