UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin stunned fans in East Lansing, Michigan on Tuesday night when he ejected his own player for committing a flagrant foul with his team trailing Michigan State by 27 points.
Bruins center Steven Jamerson II, a former Michigan State student, was whistled for a flagrant 1 late in the game for fouling Carson Cooper as the Spartans freshman went in for a dunk.
That penalty, alone, wasn’t enough for an ejection, but Cronin didn’t wait for officials to upgrade the call to a flagrant 2. Instead, the veteran coach grabbed Jamerson by his jersey and furiously directed him towards the locker room as Spartans fans cheered.
‘I guess he upgraded that to a flagrant 2,’ Spartans coach Tom Izzo told reporters after the game. ‘First time I saw a coach do that.’
Cronin has not yet addressed the incident publicly, but he is facing considerable criticism for the move.
Some felt Cronin was showing up Jamerson, who may not have been guilty of a dirty play.
Head coach Mick Cronin of the UCLA Bruins sends Steven Jamerson II to the locker room
Bruins players watch as teammate Steven Jamerson II is ushered to the locker room
‘Not gonna lie, if I’m the ucla player and his family, I’m leaving that basketball team immediately,’ one critic wrote online. ‘He went for the ball, actually blocked it, some follow thru, but the Michigan state player just landed awkwardly. Cronin didn’t have to embarrass him.’
Some not only questioned Cronin’s decision to eject his player, but the refs as well for issuing a flagrant 1.
‘Dirty foul?’ one fan asked. ‘He was clearly playing the ball.’
‘Am I crazy for not thinking this is dirty?’ another questioned. ‘He literally hit the ball’
Others praised the Bruins coach for his focus on safety: ‘Mick Cronin out here coaching with principles in 2026 Respect. Most coaches would’ve let it slide.’
The Bruins (17-9, 9-6) have lost two straight ahead of Saturday’s showdown with No. 10 Illinois.
Michigan State hosts rival Ohio State on Sunday.
