UCLA coach Mick Cronin will use lighter schedule to focus on defense

LOS ANGELES — Between mandatory time off for holidays and final exams, the UCLA men’s basketball team will play just five games – three at home, two on the road – in December.
First-year head coach Mick Cronin plans to use the extra time between games as an opportunity to fine-tune the team’s defensive identity instead of stretching out opponent scouting.
“The problem is when you have nine games in 26 days, what happens is we had slippage because you start spe