Arizona’s latest wins have given us Dan Hurley and Mick Cronin gold

The No. 4 Arizona Wildcats have earned resume-builders over ranked Florida, UCLA and UConn so far this season. But perhaps more importantly, since it’s only mid-November, they have brought us press conference gold from opposing coaches Dan Hurley and Mick Cronin.

Arizona’s 71-67 win in Storrs over on Wednesday night came with the No. 3 Huskies missing freshman guard Braylon Mullins and starting center Tarris Reed Jr.

Still, UConn rallied and had a shot at pulling off the win. And that, for Hurley, meant existential pain.

"We blew a f—ing chance to beat one of the best teams."

Dan Hurley after No. 3 UConn's loss to No. 4 Arizona. pic.twitter.com/O9fLsHhSPL

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 20, 2025

“Sometime around 2 a.m., 3, 4:30 a.m., I’m going to wake up and think it was just a nightmare,” Hurley said after tearing up the stat sheet and trying to smile. “And finally, when I’m up and just kind of starting to move around, but I’m feeling half-dead at around 7:30, 8 o’clock, I’m going to realize, yeah, we just (expletive) blew a chance to beat one of the best teams down two studs in a game that we were down 13 and wobbling.

“Our people have to get our guys on the court so we can be the team we’re all really high on. It’s just, tonight sucked to lose like that.”

Hurley kept going.

He questioned his team’s fight in what became a chippy game minutes in, and the coach also put some onus on his team’s medical and training staff to get the Huskies healthy.

“We should have been minus-10 on the glass today. We got punked,” Hurley said. “It’s going to be a bad film session coming out of here. There’s a street fight going on in the paint. Men can’t watch fights. You can’t stand on the outside when your buddies are in a fight. You get in the fight. You don’t stand on the periphery of the fight.

“I believe we are the basketball capital of the world,” he added, “but we’re also becoming the ankle sprain capital of the world and the muscle pull capital of the world. We’ve got to get this team on the court. We’ve got to get our weapons on the court.”

Dan Hurley in good spirits after the loss to No. 4 Arizona pic.twitter.com/0CjqEs3vC1

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 20, 2025

Dan Hurley after the loss to Arizona:

"We got punked. It's going to be a bad film session coming out of here. There was a street fight going on in the paint … you can't stand on the outside when your buddies are in the fight." pic.twitter.com/uRkRDaaO0m

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 20, 2025

Dan Hurley on Tarris Reed Jr. and Braylon Mullins' injuries:

"I believe we are the basketball capital of the world, but we are also becoming the ankle sprain capital of the world." pic.twitter.com/TbNWaQNFbW

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 20, 2025

Arizona’s win also set up UCLA’s Mick Cronin to create presser magic

Hurley’s lively press conference followed a good one from Cronin.

Following a 69-65 loss to Arizona on Friday, the Bruins responded by blowing out Sacramento State by 31 points Tuesday after the UCLA coach swapped out four of his five starters.

“They pay me to win games, and I thought that was the lineup that was ready to play tonight,” he told reporters. “I don’t believe in messages. I don’t believe in dog houses. As you know, I got the greatest dog ever. I’ll bring him in here for a press conference.”

Mick Cronin on UCLA's starting lineup last night. pic.twitter.com/fnxhznJysU

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 19, 2025

Cronin’s press conference after Sacramento State also included a very weird admission that he felt bad for leaving his alma mater, Cincinnati, to coach at UCLA.

Then came a “Lethal Weapon” reference as he defended doing things his way.

“Right now, we’re in a mode of learning how to play hard enough to earn the jersey that they wear,” Cronin said before a timely sip of his drink. “I have great respect for the jersey. I left my hometown and coaching my alma mater. I feel terrible that they haven’t been in the tournament in a while because of how much respect I have for UCLA basketball. I try to demand that my players play with that same kind of effort and show that respect.

“I have no problem losing on the scoreboard,” he said at another point. “I have a problem when I don’t think we play hard enough or smart at the end of games. That I have a problem with. As Danny Glover said, ‘Lethal Weapon,’ ‘If we’re going to die, we’re going to die my way.'”

“I have no problem losing on the scoreboard. I have a problem when I don’t think we play hard enough or smart enough at the end of games. That I have a problem with. As Danny Glover said, Lethal Weapon,‘If we’re going to die, we’re going to die my way,’ Mick Cronin pic.twitter.com/bVKuM2t3L7

— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) November 19, 2025

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