Mick Cronin sat at the podium Monday, took his mask off and grabbed a bottle of water.
The UCLA basketball coach was asked to give an opening statement. Cronin looked into the camera — and spoke candidly.
“I’ll do my best,” he began. “I’m a little tired.”
It had been roughly 14 hours since Cronin and the Bruins earned a trip to the Elite Eight with an overtime win over No. 2 seed Alabama. The game had been a dogfight; the Crimson Tide made a tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime.