Fans are turning against Cronin due to few losses without our best all-around player. The team is not very deep, but blame the lack of NIL funds for that. No, we did not have as much as many of our competitors. How much have you critics donated to the NIL collectives? Most of the best teams are built with transfers. Take Michigan for example. Their entire starting five is transfers. Why spend a ton of NIL on an inexperienced 5-star who will leave after a year?
Here are a few questions that should be answered, explaining how we got to this point, some Cronin's fault, some not:
Can we win a game scoring 74 points?
Would have been enough in nine games this season.
Ohio State's season adjusted defensive efficiency was 103. Against them our offensive efficiency was 117. There is nothing wrong with the offense that having Clark in there to make some threes couldn't cure. Installing a different offensive system is a dubious proposition. What's it going to do? Create more open threes for Dailey so he can miss more open threes?
Can we win a game giving up 86 points?
Sure, if we're playing Cal Poly. UCLA hasn't won another game giving up that many points in regulation since 2017 when Lonzo Ball's team played no defense and just outscored everyone.
Ohio State's season adjusted offensive efficiency was 123. Against us their efficiency was 136. This is on the players. Cronin's track record of coaching defense is well established. A coach can only do so much and then it's up to the plyers to execute. Tom Izzo, one of the best defensive coaches ever, couldn't get Booker to play defense. That's why he's here and creating a big hole in the middle of our defense.
Add the fact that we've been lit up by guards without Clark, our best perimeter defender.
Would the rebounding be better with Aday Mara?
Defensive rebounds per 40 minutes: Mara 10.3 Booker 4.6 Jamerson 4.3. Similar numbers for other rebounding stats.
Ohio State's season rebounding percentage was 53.5%. Against us it was 68.5%.
Would the defense be better with Aday Mara?
His DBPM (Defensive Box Plus Minus), a reasonably good measure of defense is 8.5, not only best in the nation, but one of the highest numbers ever recorded. He's much better in all the defensive metrics than Jamerson and Booker, even though Jamerson's aren't that bad but in limited minutes.
Would the rim protection be better with William Kyle?
4th in the nation in blocks per game.
Now the most important question. Opinions may vary, but there is little doubt in my mind of the answer. Hint: Compare coaching resumes.
Who would win? Jake Diebler with UCLA's players or Mick Cronin with Ohio State's players?