UCLA's Cronin sorry for ejecting own player after perceived 'dirty play'

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin publicly apologized to Bruins big man Steven Jamerson II on Friday for sending him to the locker room during Tuesday's defeat at Michigan State.

"I thought that he took the guy out, like the kid at Providence took the guy from St. John's out. It's the only reason I sent him to the locker room," Cronin told reporters, including Aaron Heisen of Southern California News Group. "I thought he literally made a dirty play and tried to wipe the guy out. ... He still got a (flagrant-1 foul). To be honest with you, I don't even know if he deserved that. But I watched it. Coach (Tom Izzo) thought the same thing when I communicated with him."

Cronin added: "(Based on) their reaction, I thought he tried to crush this kid. ... So, I apologize to Steve."

With 4:26 left in the second half and UCLA down 27 points, Jamerson committed a hard foul at the rim after chasing down a fast break by Spartans center Carson Cooper. The two briefly went face to face before Cronin demanded that Jamerson go to the locker room. The 6-foot-10 forward didn't return to the contest.

However, that wasn't the only viral incident involving Cronin on Tuesday. The Bruins bench boss also garnered attention postgame when a reporter's question about Michigan State's student section prompted a cagey response.

"I could give a rat's ass about the other team's student section. I would like to give you kudos for the worst question I've ever been asked," Cronin said before interrupting another reporter's question to continue the exchange.

The 54-year-old didn't specifically address the postgame incident Friday but said he needed to "dial back some of my humor."

"You have to realize - and I have to do a better job of this - that, in this climate, you've got to be careful with what you say," Cronin said. "I'm a good fit here because I know I'm not bigger than the brand. And the brand matters here. The school matters. The last thing I want to do is bring negative publicity to our school.

"It's not about me. I don't care what people think about me. I need to do a better job knowing, well I am the coach here, and I need to make sure I don't do anything to embarrass our school. So, for that, I apologize. That I don't want. I apologize to our people: school, students, everybody in our community."

Tuesday's loss was UCLA's third in the last five games, dropping the team to 9-6 in Big Ten play. It also dealt another blow to its NCAA Tournament hopes; ESPN's Joe Lunardi currently has the Bruins slotted for one of the last four at-large bids in his latest Bracketology projection.