College basketball: UCLA’ Mick Cronin ejects his own player in from game

Normally, when a player gets ejected in a college basketball game, it comes from the referees, not the head coach.

UCLA center Steven Jamerson II got ejected by his head coach, Mick Cronin, after committing a hard foul with the Bruins down 27 with 4:26 left in the second half of their 82-59 loss on Tuesday at the Breslin Center.

Michigan State’s Carson Cooper appeared to have an easy breakaway layup, but Jamerson swatted him from behind, and Cooper went down. Cooper got up and immediately got in Jamerson’s face before the two were separated.

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UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin admonishes forward Steven Jamerson (24) after he committed a flagrant foul during a college basketball game between the Michigan State Spartans and UCLA Bruins at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan. Feb. 17, 2026. (Adam Ruff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Upon the two players being separated, Cronin was irate and hailed Jamerson over the UCLA bench. The 54-year-old head coach ushered Jamerson — even tugging the center by the jersey — down the bench and pointed him to the locker room.

Jamerson, accompanied by UCLA trainer Dave Andrews, eventually jogged off to the locker room. The redshirt senior initially enrolled at Michigan State as a freshman before transferring to the University of San Diego.

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UCLA forward Steven Jamerson leaves the arena after a flagrant foul on Michigan State center Carson Cooper during the second half at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan, on Feb. 17, 2026. (Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The Michigan State fans waved goodbye to Jamerson as he departed the court. Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo said he had never seen a coach eject his own player before.

“I guess (Cronin) upgraded that to a flagrant two,” Spartans head coach Tom Izzo joked, according to FOX Sports. “That’s the first time I saw a coach do it. But that sounds like Mick, so he’ll get that straightened out.”

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UCLA coach Mick Cronin directs his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in East Lansing, Michigan, on Feb. 17, 2026. (Al Goldis/AP Photo)

Prior to UCLA’s 23-point loss against Michigan State, the Bruins lost to top-ranked Michigan by 30. They have lost two straight games after winning five of their previous six.

For the Spartans, the blowout win was a needed one, as they had lost three of their last four games.

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