Steven Jamerson II’s homecoming to Michigan State veered into territory this sport rarely reaches.
With 4:26 left in No. 15 Michigan State’s eventual 82-59 dismantling of the Bruins on Tuesday, Jamerson — who, as a freshman in East Lansing in 2020, was unsuccessful in his bid to walk on to the team or be a student manager — was whistled for a technical after squaring up to Spartans big man Carson Cooper following a foul on a breakaway dunk.
In what seemed to be the breaking point for Mick Cronin, the seven-year UCLA coach yanked Jamerson off the court, caught a fistful of his jersey on the sideline and barked at a Bruins staffer, “Get him out,” signaling toward the locker room. Cronin was visibly seething as his team appeared to sleepwalk through the thrashing, falling to 9-6 in Big Ten play.
The sequence began with UCLA trailing 77-50. Cooper leaked out in transition, and Jamerson chased him down, delivering a hard foul at the rim. After the whistle, Jamerson turned toward Cooper, drawing a Class A technical. Cooper converted the ensuing free throw, and Jamerson’s night ended in the locker room moments later.
Watch: UCLA HC Mick Cronin appeared to eject his own player, Steven Jamerson II, after he committed a foul on Carson Cooper on the fast break.
Jamerson squared up with Cooper, was assessed a technical before Cronin signaled for him to get off the floor. pic.twitter.com/gv6e2bcS4o
— Ira Gorawara (@IraGorawara) February 18, 2026
Afterward, Cronin classified the play as a lapse in judgment.
“Steve’s a good kid. He made a bad decision. But if you wanna be a tough guy, you need to do it during the game,” Cronin said. “I was thoroughly disappointed. Guy was defenseless in the air; I know Steve was trying to block the shot, but the game’s a 25-point game, you don’t do that.”
In eight minutes off the bench, Jamerson finished with two points, two rebounds and two assists. Cronin’s decision did little to alter the outcome — Michigan State rode a 31-5 first-half surge into a 20-point halftime lead and coasted from there — but it crystallized UCLA’s disjointed effort against the Spartans.
“We’re not physical enough to be at the upper part of this league,” Cronin said. “We don’t play hard enough. I’ve been saying that all year. … Thoroughly disappointed.”
Frustration bled into Cronin’s roughly six-minute postgame press conference at the Breslin Center. Asked about MSU students chanting Xavier Booker’s name in an attempt to rattle the former Michigan State forward who now starts for UCLA, Cronin snapped.
“I could give a rat’s ass about the other team’s student section,” he said, “I would rather like to give you a kudos for the worst question I’ve ever been asked.”
What followed was a tense back-and-forth. As the reporter attempted to clarify, Cronin interjected and accused him of raising his voice.
“Are you raising your voice at me?” Cronin countered. “Yeah, you are. C’mon, dude.”
He continued, pointing out that the exchange was “on camera.”
“I answered the question,” Cronin said, “I coach at UCLA. I don’t care about Michigan State’s students. Who cares?”
UCLA coach Mick Cronin’s thoughts on the Michigan State student section. @ThisistheIZZONE pic.twitter.com/7pJJHEs7sQ
— Owen Oszust (@Owen_Oszust) February 18, 2026
Tuesday night’s episodes unfolded against an unusual backdrop. Cronin and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo have long been friends, and Cronin told reporters a few days before the game that he was hoping to get dinner with Izzo on Sunday.
“Coach Izzo, in my opinion, is the best ambassador going for college basketball,” Cronin said. “And the fact that he respects me enough to take my calls and become friends with me means a lot to me. It’s like a milestone in my career.”
They did have dinner, in fact — Izzo told NBC’s John Fanta they had pizza, though Cronin was also offered hot dogs as a choice of entrée.
Reflecting on the game, Izzo offered a measured response regarding Cronin’s removal of Jamerson. “I felt for Mick. His team’s a lot better than that. I guess he upgraded that to a flagrant 2, huh? That’s (the) first time I saw a coach do it, but that sounds like Mick, so he’ll get that straightened out.”
The Bruins face Illinois, another top-15 team, at Pauley Pavilion on Saturday, before rounding out the regular season against USC and surging Nebraska. The Bruins are still hovering near the tournament cut line — and there’s little margin left.
