In UCLA win, Bruins book Big Dance spot as Sean Miller gets ejected | Zagsblog
Recent Posts
About ZagsBlog
Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
Follow Zags on Twitter
Couldn't connect with Twitter
Contact Zags
Connect with Zags:
Thursday / March 28.
  • In UCLA win, Bruins book Big Dance spot as Sean Miller gets ejected

    Share Zagsblog Share Zagsblog
    By ADAM ZAGORIA

    It looks like Mick Cronin is going dancing for a 10th straight season.

    The first-year UCLA coach has booked the Bruins into the NCAA Tournament by virtue of their seventh straight win, 69-64, over Pac-12 rival Arizona on Saturday night. UCLA is 2-0 against Arizona this season.

    UCLA is now in first place in the “Conference of Champions,” and ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has them as the Pac-12’s automatic qualifier and chiming in as a 12 seed. Cronin took Cincinnati to the NCAA Tournament nine straight years before taking the UCLA job after a controversial hiring process last spring.

    Lunardi has six Pac-12 clubs in the Big Dance, with USC among the “Last Four In.”

    This game also made news when Arizona coach Sean Miller appeared to yell profanity at an official following a controversial foul call involving point guard Nico Mannion and UCLA’s Cody Riley.

    Miller was later ejected in the second half and Jack Murphy coached the remainder of the game for the Wildcats, a projected 6 seed as of Friday, per Lunardi.

    It appeared as if Miller may have gotten himself ejected on purpose in order to fire up his team.

    “I’ll say this: After being a head coach for seven years, I don’t know if any technical are on purpose, but they certainly come from a good place,” Murphy told the Arizona Daily Star. “I just think tonight coach was in was in a good place when it came to what he was discussing with the official.”

    Photo: UCLA

    Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter

    And Like ZAGS on Facebook

    Written by

    [email protected]

    Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.

  • } });
    X