Eye On College Basketball Podcast

Episode: UCLA's Mick Cronin Explains How He Needs Donovan Dent to Play More Like Braden Smith

Date: October 10, 2025
Host: Gary Parrish
Guest: Mick Cronin, UCLA Head Coach

Overview

In this episode, Gary Parrish sits down at Big Ten Media Day with UCLA head coach Mick Cronin. The two discuss Cronin’s experience entering his seventh season at UCLA, the intricacies of modern recruiting (with an emphasis on player retention and the transfer portal), and the high expectations for both Cronin's team and star transfer Donovan Dent. Parrish and Cronin delve into what makes Purdue’s Braden Smith special, and why Cronin wants Dent to adopt Smith’s mentality and grit. They close with thoughts on the demanding nature of the non-league schedule and the ever-evolving landscape of college basketball.

Key Discussion Points

1. Mick Cronin Reflects on Seven Years at UCLA

Timestamp: 02:25 – 03:49

• Cronin notes how quickly time has passed since taking the UCLA job, mentioning his daughter is now in college.
• He highlights how UCLA is not only a historic basketball school but also a global academic and medical powerhouse.
  • Quote:
    "I knew about the basketball program and...the greatness of the Coach Wooden and a lot of others...I didn't know about the university and how big the university is. I mean, what a behemoth of academic research impact on the world..." (03:04 - 03:49, Cronin)

2. Retention is the New Foundation for Recruiting

Timestamp: 03:49 – 05:04

• Parrish points out UCLA returns three of its top four scorers, asking if retention is now the primary piece of recruiting.
• Cronin agrees unequivocally:
  • Quote:
    "100% retention is...everything...you gotta be deciding as your season's unfolding...what am I going to do when the season ends?" (03:59 - 04:12, Cronin)
• Coaches must prepare for postseason player meetings and retention offers before the NCAA Tournament even ends.
• Cronin is grateful to retain "three great players and a freshman that didn't play a lot... that's going to be a huge, huge factor for us and have a great career at UCLA and Trent Perry that we were able to retain."

3. The Double-Edged Sword of the Transfer Portal

Timestamp: 05:04 – 07:06

• Parrish asks how Cronin feels about the new landscape of high school vs. portal recruiting.
• Cronin is realistic: he doesn’t waste time wishing for the past, recognizing the system won’t revert.
  • He notes the "trickle-down effect," with D2 programs waiting on D1 transfers, squeezing out lower-ranked high school players.
  • On the upside, the portal provides opportunities:
    • Quote:
      "What's good is I can go get Donovan Dent." (06:06, Cronin)
• Parrish reframes Dent’s transfer as a positive—a player returning to his home area to play at UCLA after excelling elsewhere.

4. The Realities and Ethics Around Player Mobility

Timestamp: 07:06 – 07:50

• Cronin encourages empathy regarding student-athletes' transfer decisions:
  • Quote:
    "I just wish everybody in our country could just put the other guy's shoes on... before you start throwing darts at everybody..." (07:11 - 07:25, Cronin)
• Recognizes the emotional side of fan reactions and the volatility of social media.

5. What Cronin Expects from Donovan Dent

Timestamp: 07:50 – 09:30

• Parrish highlights the contrast between Braden Smith (Purdue) and Donovan Dent (UCLA), setting up Cronin to explain what he wants from Dent.
• Cronin praises Dent’s NBA-level talent and athleticism:
  • "You average 20 a game, shoot 40% from three. He’s got next level speed. He's got some things that maybe Braden Smith doesn't have as far as athleticism."
• The goal: Get Dent to emulate Smith’s relentless intensity, grit, and underdog mentality, especially defensively and in ball security.
  • Quote:
    "Can I get him to have Braden Smith's intensity for 40 minutes? The grit defensively, the underdog mentality...those are the things that will make Donnie a pro." (08:19 - 09:05, Cronin)
• He educates players that UCLA’s expectations far exceed those of many other high-level programs:
  • "What was a really good year at New Mexico is like an average, not that good a year at UCLA...getting beat in the second round...it’s not what time it is in Westwood." (09:05 - 09:21, Cronin)

6. What Makes Braden Smith a Special Point Guard

Timestamp: 09:30 – 11:32

• Cronin identifies the common mistake of undervaluing undersized players.
• He calls Smith a "surgeon" in the pick and roll and hails his intelligence and toughness as the true difference makers:
  • Quote:
    "He's a surgeon right in the pick and roll. Literally a surgeon...he looks like a 38-year-old guy that's played in Europe at the highest level...his toughness...is why he's so great." (10:10 - 11:18, Cronin)
• The discussion underscores that physical limitations can be overcome with extraordinary basketball IQ and mental toughness.

7. West Coast Scheduling and the Toll of Travel

Timestamp: 11:32 – 13:18

• Gary and Cronin discuss the intentional design to keep UCLA’s non-league schedule out West, for both competitive and academic reasons.
  • Cronin compares college travel to pro travel, noting that "pros don’t go to school"; it's a major difference for student-athletes at elite universities.
    • Quote:
      "The pros don’t go to school. Everybody wants to keep dismissing the fact that the guys go to school. I mean, you know, as UCLA, they go to an elite school...it’s not all online classes." (12:20 - 12:47, Cronin)
• Lighthearted moment about the routine beauty of working at UCLA:
  • Quote:
    "I turned left on Sunset to go to work. Not many people do that...coming out of Encino down the hill." (13:12 - 13:19, Cronin)

8. Is This Cronin’s Best UCLA Team?

Timestamp: 13:18 – 15:05

• Parrish brings up his high expectations for UCLA and asks Cronin if this could be his best team.
• Cronin expresses confidence but stresses unknowns, particularly because Dent hasn’t played for him yet.
  • He recalls his certainty in previous years with proven players, contrasting that with this year’s potential and unpredictabilities.
  • Expresses hope that UCLA can be the Big Ten team that breaks its long championship drought, even as he lists how close the league has come.
    • Quote:
      "I'm just hoping it's ucla." (14:59 - 15:05, Cronin)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Empathy for Athletes:
  "Put the other guy's shoes on or the other woman's shoes on, and it'd just be a lot better place." (07:25, Cronin)
• UCLA Expectations:
  "Going to the second round ain't where it's at." (09:19, Cronin)
• About Braden Smith:
  "He looks like...a 38-year-old guy that's played in Europe at the highest level...but the X factor to me is his toughness." (10:34 - 11:18, Cronin)
• Balancing School and Hoops:
  "Everybody wants to keep dismissing the fact that the guys go to school. I mean, you know, as UCLA, they go to an elite school." (12:33 - 12:47, Cronin)

Episode Flow and Tone

• The conversation is candid, insightful, and occasionally humorous, with Cronin blending straight talk with moments of dry wit (especially about the perks of living and working in Westwood).
• There’s a distinct focus on realism—about player movement, the new recruiting realities, and the never-ending pressure of expectations at UCLA.
• The episode dynamically bridges behind-the-scenes coaching responsibilities and broader college basketball culture, offering both technical observations and life lessons.

For anyone who hasn’t listened, this episode delivers an honest look at coaching at the highest level, the ongoing adaptation required in college basketball, and the inside scoop on two of the nation’s most intriguing point guards.