CTTO
Junior guard Jules Bernard had 20 points and nine rebounds, and first-place UCLA survived a scare from last-place Washington to win 81-76 on Saturday for its sixth straight victory.
Postgame Quotes – UCLA vs. Washington
Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach
on what changed from first half to second half
“I thought Tyger (Campbell) – we’re not a good team unless he’s playing well. I thought the more he started to compete and realized the game had started and we were going to lose if he didn’t play – that was probably the biggest thing for us. Coming out of the locker room, getting some stops – to answer your pointed question, factually, Ben, we got six straight stops out of the locker room. Their first six possessions, we got a stop.”
on Jules Bernard
“Yeah, again, I’m a little different than you guys. I like when he shoots it in. Right now, he’s our most physical player. He’s our toughest guy; I’ve been saying that since I got here. People are probably wondering why’s he keep trying to play him. I had to keep getting him to the point where he doesn’t turn the ball over because I just believe you can’t win without some physicality. And that’s why I believe Jaylen Clark could be a great player for us. Jules, every time there’s a loose ball, he’s the guy. He’s our leading rebounder today. No turnovers. Plus 11 with him in the game. So, I totally agree with you, he just continues to get better. But I will say this, Ben, he practices like that. And that’s why I always thought if I could get him to keep it more simple on offense -- shoot when he’s open, teach him to slow down on offense – because he’s such a good guy, and he’s such a tough kid and he’s got a great, strong body – I’m pretty tough, but my body’s a joke – the way he’s built and as athletic as he is, he’s got a chance to be a really good player. I think he can keep getting better.”
on limiting turnovers and beating Washington on offensive boards
“Well, at halftime, we talked about our lack of defense. Not that it was excellent in the second half, by any stretch. They were a tough matchup for us, we knew it. I think what people don’t realize is college basketball, especially our game, matchups mean so much. More than the other team’s record. How you match up with that other team and it dictates so much, especially in the NCAA tournament. If you can get favorable ones versus tough ones. I thought Quade Green was going to be a problem for us today. And I was really concerned with their quickness at all their positions because we can be challenged sometimes with footspeed. We didn’t play very smart. We didn’t guard (Erik) Stevenson correctly in the first half. So, that being said, we did find a way to win the game. But we’re trying everything we know as a coaching staff with these guys on the defensive end. We’ve just got to keep doing that.”
on how much closeness of game came due to Washington playing better than it was used to
“I agree, Tarek. We told our guys, eventually these guys are going to make some shots because if you look at their percentages from last year, some of their players, from a shooting perspective – (Hameir) Wright’s struggled this year. But last year, he shot the ball well. Quade Green, he missed a lot of games. I also thought their speed and quickness – yes, you’re correct, they made some shots and that gives you a chance, right? When they make those shots, it gives them energy on defense, it gives them belief they’ve got a chance to win. But I would say our defense left a lot to be desired, as well. That’s really what started the whole thing. Again, we’re no finished product. We’ve got no seniors out there and we’ve got to have a better sense of maturity about who we are and our preparation for a game like today. In my opinion, we thought we were just going to show up and they were going to quit. They came to play. Fortunately, we were able to dig out the victory.”
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