Mick Cronin is heading into his eighth season at UCLA with a roster that looks built around one clear edge: flexibility.
The Bruins bring back their core trio of Trent Perry, Eric Dailey Jr., and Xavier Booker, and all three are expected to start this season. Booker stands out as the one starter who will likely stay in one spot, largely because he is the tallest player on a team that does not have much size. Everyone else in the frontcourt is 6’9” or shorter, which gives this group a different kind of shape.
That versatility runs through the rest of the roster, too. UCLA added former Texas Tech guard Jaylen Petty, an explosive backcourt piece who should give the offense a real boost. Petty also spent time at point guard behind Christian Anderson last season, and that experience could matter later in the year if Cronin wants another ball-handler in the mix.
The Bruins also brought in Nikola Kusturica, the Serbian prospect who may end up being the biggest addition of the offseason. He is expected to play small forward, but his elite passing could allow him to slide into more of a ball-handler role when needed.
Another key newcomer is Auburn transfer Filip Jovic, who appears likely to serve as the sixth man. Jovic has the kind of fluidity Cronin can use in multiple ways, with the ability to play both power forward and center. That flexibility has already created buzz around him.
At the point, Perry is the likely starter to open the season, but UCLA has enough backcourt options to mix and match. Perry and Petty could both be used in distribution-heavy roles, giving the Bruins another layer of adaptability.
And the depth pieces fit the same pattern. International prospect Gunars Grinvalds, freshman Joe Philon, Butler transfer Azavier Robinson, and returning guard Eric Freeny all bring enough positional flexibility to help in different spots. For Cronin, that means a roster with answers all over the floor.
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Still, the questions around this team have not gone away because of how productive the offense has been. UCLA has given up notable points in some games, leaving the bigger debate centered on whether the Bruins are built to keep this pace when the schedule stiffens, and the Oct. 10 game against Oregon is shaping up as the first real measuring stick for how serious this start might be. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Fast Start Is Raising A Bigger Question About Its Backfield
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Dan Lanning Used Oregons Bye Week To Reinforce One Core Belief
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Macdonalds own philosophy lines up with that emphasis on connection, which makes the exchange more than a casual stopover. For UCLA, the bigger takeaway is simple enough: Oregon is using the open week not just to rest, but to sharpen the culture and cohesion that Lanning believes will matter once the games start stacking up again. [Read more 🡒]