Mick Cronin and the UCLA Bruins are attempting to play a basketball season, however they have a lot extra on their thoughts as the realm round their faculty has been affected by wildfires.
The primary began on Jan. 7 within the Pacific Palisades and has been ongoing.
UCLA has performed two away video games because the fires began, and its subsequent dwelling recreation is scheduled to be on Friday in opposition to the Iowa Hawkeyes again at Pauley Pavilion.
Whether or not or not that recreation could be performed as scheduled continues to be an open query, however after UCLA’s final recreation, a loss to Rutgers, Cronin revealed that he and the crew are having a tough time specializing in basketball with how issues are wanting again West.
“No phrases. I simply need to get dwelling. I need to get dwelling to my household, be sure that — it’s robust when that is all happening and also you’re not round your loved ones. Ensuring persons are secure in occasions like this. So, it’s actually, actually onerous,” Cronin said within the postgame information convention (h/t On3).
Being on the street has been robust for Cronin and his UCLA crew as a result of they have a lot to fret about again dwelling. Cronin‘s household needed to evacuate for a while, based on On3.
“They did, however they’re again for now. We’re on the sting in Encino,” Cronin mentioned. “Look, there’s lots of people who’ve misplaced all the pieces. It’s horrible. I used to be telling [Rutgers head] Coach [Steve] Pikiell, he was asking, it’s like one thing from a film. It’s onerous to even describe. It’s onerous for you and I as a result of we’re not there. It’s onerous to course of.”
The Bruins are 11-6, however they’re at present driving a four-game dropping streak.
