UCLA Coach Cronin Ejects Player, Clashes with Reporter After MSU Loss

In East Lansing, Michigan, on Tuesday night, UCLA men's basketball coach Mick Cronin drew widespread attention during his team's 82-59 loss to No. 15 Michigan State, first by ejecting his own forward Steven Jamerson II from the game and later by clashing with a reporter in the postgame press conference.

The Bruins, trailing by 27 points with just over four minutes remaining, saw Jamerson commit a hard foul on Spartans center Carson Cooper as he went up for a dunk. Officials called it a flagrant 1 foul, but Cronin intervened before any potential upgrade, grabbing Jamerson by the jersey and directing him toward the locker room. The move prompted cheers from the home crowd at the Breslin Center. "Guy was defenseless in the air," Cronin said afterward. "I know Steve was trying to block the shot, but the game's a 25-point game. You don't do that."

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, who has known Cronin for years, described the unusual scene as characteristic of his counterpart. "That's the first time I've seen a coach do it, but that sounds like Mick, so he'll get that straightened out," Izzo told reporters.

The Spartans dominated from the start, building a double-digit lead by halftime...