College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 16-17; 10-10, Fifth in the Pac-12 Conference, No Postseason

Head Coach: Mick Cronin (Sixth Year; 115-53 at UCLA, with three NCAA Tournament appearances)

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Dylan Andrews – 6’2″, 180 Junior

G Sebastian Mack – 6’3″, 200 Sophomore

G Kobe Johnson – 6’6″, 200 Senior

F Tyler Bilodeau – 6’9″, 230 Junior

C Aday Mara – 7’3″, 240 Sophomore

Experienced Reserves

G Dominick Harris – 6’3″, 190 Senior

G Skyy Clark – 6’3″, 210 Junior

W Lazar Stefanović – 6’7″, 190 Senior

W Brandon Williams – 6’7″, 220 Sophomore

F Eric Dailey, Jr – 6’8″, 230 Sophomore

F Devin Williams – 6’10”, 200 Sophomore

F/C William Kyle III – 6’9″, 230 Junior

Freshmen

G Trent Perry – 6’4″, 180 / Consensus Top 50 recruit

G Eric Freeney – 6’4″, 200 / Consensus Top 100 recruit

Last winter, UCLA went real young. The result was real inconsistency.

Things were okay to start, as the Bruins were competitive at the Maui Invitational and began the year 5-2, but by mid-January UCLA was 6-10 and looking fairly rudderless at times. They weren’t finished, though, and ripped off eight wins over the next nine games. Unfortunately, things spiraled again and the youngster team from Westwood ended with six losses in their final eight contests.

Head coach Mick Cronin was at his usually quotable self in expressing vast frustration with the Bruins’ campaign, and even with the individual play of his still-learning core pieces at times. The UCLA coaching staff didn’t blow it all up this spring, though.

Instead, they retained the players who best fit their intentions going forward, and built around them. While last year was all about one of the most ballyhooed hauls of freshman prospects anywhere in the country, this time around Cronin & Co went for a more even pairings of youth and talent. Heading into a new year, in a new conference – the Big Ten – has UCLA gotten it all figured out?

Three of the top four scorers from last year are returning to lead the way. Knowing now exactly what Cronin demands, they figure to be improved as individuals this winter – and as the leaders in rebuilding the Bruins’ culture of success.

The rising backcourt tandem of Dylan Andrews and Sebastian Mack give UCLA a potentially sensational duo to build upon. They undoubtedly had their ups and downs last year. At one point, Cronin was so rankled with Mack’s decision-making that he said that “on a veteran team, he’d (Mack) play about five minutes, but I’ve gotta play him.” Thankfully, the young players that Cronin chose to go with as the bedrock of his roster showed plenty of promise over the course of the season as well. Especially after the new year, Andrews heated up in a big way. Over the team’s final 17 contests, Andrews posted averages of 14.9 points and 3.9 assists on 38.0% shooting from the land of trey. He’s becoming a reliable ballhandler who understands that Cronin isn’t about wasting possessions or taking foolish shots, and Andrews should serve as a model for his teammates this season. He ended up averaging the third-most (35.2) minutes in the Pac-12 last year, and Andrews is now a veteran who has seen a Sweet Sixteen run and endured a losing campaign. The clear objective in Westwood this winter is to win again, and Andrews is behaving like the type of guy who leads a winner.

With Andrews running the show, creating opportunities for his buddies, and providing steady scoring, Mack ought to be able to elevate his game considerably. He’s an explosive scoring guard with a strong frame that’s gotten stronger this summer, and he uses what he’s got to make an impact on offense as well as defense. He led the team in steals, and Mack even managed to break even with 52 assists and 52 turnovers on the year. Mack also did a terrific job of getting to the free throw line as a rookie. His aggressiveness got the better of him sometimes, but Mack’s dynamism off the bounce was what the Bruins needed sometimes when nothing else was really working. Especially given that his jumper wandered quite a bit in his debut, Mack’s effectiveness in drawing multiple defenders on his cruises through the lane will create plenty of kickout chances for his teammates. If they can knock ’em down, UCLA’s offense could become not just viable but an asset.

Fourth-year swingman Lazar Stefanović is back for his second season in Westwood after turning in career-best’s in his debut. After coming over from Utah, he established himself as the Bruins’ most effective deep threat a year ago. Though not exactly a low-post banger, Stefanović also led the his new team in rebounding average last winter, and he finished second in assists. He’s a creative ballhandler and facilitator, and can be selective with his shots – always important to Cronin – but Stefanović needs to be a better and more efficient scorer inside the arc. He attempted just 24 shots near the rim a year ago, but Stefanović did establish a modest career-high 35.7% mark on mid-range attempts, per Bart Torvik. He doesn’t do it all, but what Stefanović does do, he does well. With just a bit more interior muscle added to his game, Stefanović is going to be an even bigger all-around help.

One of the experienced newcomers that Cronin added during the offseason will compete for a big share of the perimeter minutes as well. Southern Cal transfer Kobe Johnson decided to stay in the Big Ten – the absolute lunacy of such a statement – and bring his own terrific blend of two-way skills to the Bruins. A big guard who can cover all sorts of different perimeter opponents and some forwards, Johnson is a suffocating man defender. A top-quality stopper, Johnson was named to the Pac-12’s All-Defense team each of the past two years. Additionally, he’s racked up 140 thefts since the start of his sophomore campaign, and Johnson swatted 25 shots in 31 games played a year ago.

“We needed a senior leader, and you can go get one in Kobe Johnson in the portal,” Cronin explained at his first Big Ten Media Days. “We were just not old enough last year, and the reality of college basketball – we need to get older, we needed a leader, and Kobe Johnson’s a huge addition for us.” With that sort of prelude, Johnson is looking to display equal excellence on the other end. He’s nearly there; last season Johnson posted 3.3 assists per game, and he’s another valuable distributor who should help the Bruins to generate quality scoring chances. If he can shoot the rock more consistently, Johnson could emerge as one of the best guards in his new conference.

Louisville transfer Skyy Clark and former Loyola Marymount guard Dominick Harris are also coming aboard to add scoring depth. Both were once 4-star prospects, and took different routes to the best seasons of their career. As everything burned down around the Cardinals last winter, Clark showed off the bucket-getting skills that had scouts expecting him to be a huge star out of high school. He’s streaky, but when Clark gets hot, he can pretty much take over – his 36 points on 7/9 shooting from downtown against NC State in last season’s Atlantic Coast Conference tournament being a prime example. While he can be a very entertaining playmaker, Clark coughed up 88 turnovers among his 87 assists last year. He must rein in his wilder tendencies in order to truly blossom, and Bruins fans are hoping that Cronin and his staff can unlock Clark’s ultimate potential.

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

41.9 – Team FG Percentage (312th)

65.5 – Opponent Points Per Game (19th)

5.5 – Made 3FG Per Game (333rd)

11.3 – Opponent Assists Per Game (49th)

11.2 – Assists Per Game (324th)

After three injury-plagued years at Gonzaga, Harris transferred to LMU last season and went wild from three-point territory. He led the West Coast Conference with a sizzling 44.8% rate on 65 made triples, and Harris went for 20+ points seven times in 24 games played a year ago. If he can bring that sort of marksmanship to the Bruins, Cronin will just about trip over himself in his haste to get Harris onto the floor. Two highly-rated true freshmen will also be looking to get onto the court, and they’ll push the new veterans. A tough and experienced point guard who’s won everywhere he’s played so far, Trent Perry is a consensus Top 50 prospect who will offer more size and – the folks in Westwood hope – more outside shooting. Eric Freeney brings more of that good size and can play either guard spot. While Perry is a pure jump shooter, Freeney’s game is possibly a bit more well-rounded.

The only guy who averaged more than 9.8 minutes per game and shot at least 40% from the field last year was Adem Bona, who has moved on. With great passes sure to be in their way from the Bruins great young guards, Cronin and his staff needed to find play-finishers to play inside. This spring, they landed three rising frontcourt players to surround and support what’s hoped will be the Aday Mara breakout that didn’t materialize last winter. Tyler Bilodeau, Eric Dailey, Jr, and William Kyle III each played a big role for their previous teams, and Cronin is hoping that iron will sharpen iron in giving the Bruins better play up front.

Another former Pac-12 guy, Bilodeau took a few big strides last year at Oregon State. To start with, he made 53.3% of his shots despite not having a great supporting cast as a Beaver. Bilodeau has a budding face-up repertoire and some perimeter skills, and he’s an effective floor spacer with enough size to allow UCLA to play four or even five-out at times if he can give them a few minutes at the pivot. He’s a good enough defensive rebounder, but Bilodeau will need to prove that he can handle post players in the rough-and-tumble Big Ten in order to play big minutes. Dailey, who played for Team USA in international tournaments prior to signing on at Oklahoma State. Things fell apart for the Cowboys last winter, but Dailey proved that his skills were mature enough to handle 16 starts in the Big 12. Like Mack and any number of other top freshmen, Dailey wasn’t always consistent in his debut, but his shooting range, advanced understanding of halfcourt offense, and physical strength will help the Bruins.

“You didn’t come here to wait, you got to step in and we all got to go after it right away.”

– Mick Cronin

At South Dakota State, Kyle was a force around the rim on both ends. He might not be able to shoot it out to the wing like his new teammates, but Kyle was one of the nation’s preeminent dunkers last season. He dropped the hammer 88 times, helping Kyle to shoot 62.3% from the floor, and he’ll be a very good option to finish on the pick-and-roll. Cronin will want to see a few more facets to his offensive game, but Kyle’s ability to set screens, crash the glass, and convert deep in the paint will be very helpful off the bench.

“You’re trying to empower William Kyle and Tyler Bilodeau – these guys are juniors – ‘Look guys, we don’t have time for you to play games with the jersey before you get comfortable,” Cronin made the expectations for his new big guys clear this fall. “You didn’t come here to wait, you got to step in and we all got to go after it right away.” Kyle is also going to be a needed rim protector for the Bruins, and he can usually get the job done defensively without getting himself in foul trouble – one sure path to Cronin’s heart.

There were plenty of folks talking about UCLA being just a stepping stone on Mara’s quick path from Spain to the NBA, but that trajectory hit some road bumps. The fact remains that he’s a skilled 7’3″ youngster who can shoot, run the floor, and protect the rim, and it’s hoped that things will start coming together for Mara this fall. He worked to add strength, improve his coordination deep in the post this summer, and if Mara can show meaningful progress, he could begin leveling up very quickly. He frustratingly missed layups and fumbled good passes at times as a rookie, and Mara needs to gain a bit of a mean streak to take full advantage of his skills. If he can show that this year, he will give the Bruins a modern pivot who can cause all sorts of matchup problems. Brandon Williams and Devin Williams (no relation) are also back for their second seasons. While Devin missed a chunk of his first campaign due to injury, Brandon Williams showed his developing skills for more than 17 minutes each game and made 14 starts. An oversized wing who might be a steady jumper away from turning into an even bigger part of the Bruins’ attack.

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

N Gonzaga – December 28

N Arizona – December 14

N North Carolina – December 21

N New Mexico – November 8

vs Southern Utah – November 26

Following a run of three straight Sweet Sixteen appearances, last year felt like a huge letdown for the Bruins. There is enough talent on this team to get right back into the action as one of America’s better teams, and Cronin knows that he will need to improve and remain committed to growing with and as much as his players.

“We’re trying to make it to the Big Dance, we’re trying to make it to the national title,” Andrews declared while speaking alongside his coach this October. “Coach Cronin right here, he’s a competitor, and I feel like everybody that came to UCLA knows that.” If the addition of proven guys ends up making the impact their coaches are anticipating, UCLA will have a winning blend once more. There will be competition up and down the roster, and with a bunch of guys who understand their assignments individually and as a team, the Bruins should be playing well into March after their brief hiatus.