Mick Cronin claims he’s a good fit at UCLA: ‘I’m not the story’

UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin on Friday said he apologized to Steven Jamerson II for ejecting the backup center during a game earlier in the week.

Cronin said he initially thought that Jamerson committed a dirty play against Michigan State on Tuesday but realized upon watching replays that it wasn’t.

Cronin said Jamerson accepted his apology, joking that his player wanted an extra $10,000 in name, image and likeness funds.

“Steve’s everything that’s good about college basketball,” Cronin said.

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Cronin also said he needed to make sure he didn’t do anything to embarrass UCLA and try to protect the brand.

“I’m a good fit here,” Cronin said, “because here I’m not the story.”

Cronin’s ejection of Jamerson had drawn national scorn from television talk show hosts and newspaper columnists who accused him of being a bully and not living up to the UCLA character standard set by legendary predecessor John Wooden.

The brouhaha had started Tuesday night when Jamerson chased down Michigan State’s Carson Cooper with about 4½ minutes left in UCLA’s 82-59 road loss.

Trying to block Cooper’s shot from behind, Jamerson committed a hard foul that sent Cooper tumbling to the court. As fans inside the Breslin Center howled in disapproval, Cooper rose and the players briefly stood face to face before being separated.

Before officials could review the play, Jamerson walked to the UCLA bench. That’s when Cronin grabbed a fistful of his jersey and motioned for him to go to the locker room, leaving a stunned look on Jamerson’s face. He departed the court alongside a UCLA staffer as fans waved goodbye.

Officials eventually ruled the play a flagrant-1 foul. After the game, Cronin described Jamerson as a good kid who made a bad decision.

“If you want to be a tough guy, you need to do it during the game – for block-out, for a rebound,” Cronin said. “So I was thoroughly disappointed – the guy was defenseless in the air. I know Steve was trying to block the shot, but the game’s a 25-point game, you don’t do that.”

Getting ejected from by his coach might have been especially embarrassing for a player who was trying to prove himself in his return to Michigan State. As a freshman at the school, Jamerson had tried to walk on to the team and later become a student manager – failing in both attempts.

He later transferred to the University of San Diego before joining the Bruins before this season.