Mick Cronin isn’t pretending Nikola Kusturica’s arrival at UCLA will be simple.
That’s the reality when a player is already being talked about as a top-three NBA Draft prospect in 2028 before he’s even settled into college basketball. The expectations are huge, and Cronin is trying to make sure they don’t land on Kusturica all at once.
Speaking with CBS’s Jon Rothstein, Cronin made it clear that the first priority is easing the Serbian international into the college game rather than piling on the pressure.
"He'll be here next week, and my thing is, like, baby steps. One thing about him, the Serbian kids that I've had...they're ingrained in basketball; it's all they know.
And their culture is not like ours. So they're not about branding.
They're about the game," Cronin stated.
Cronin also pointed to the kind of scrutiny that comes with playing at this level, especially for a young player new to the United States.
“I think I've got to protect him though, because he's coming to a place where everybody wants your blood, and the minute you don't have a great game, they're going to pick you apart. You've got to give a guy a chance, leave the guy alone, and let him do his thing. He's gonna have ups and downs.”
That kind of awareness from the coach matters. Kusturica is walking into college basketball with plenty of attention already attached to his name, and the adjustment won’t happen overnight. Cronin knows that, and he’s setting the tone accordingly.
The talent is obvious, too. Kusturica flashed it in a big performance against Team USA, finishing with 37 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, and shooting 9-23 from the field, 2-11 from 3-point range, and 17-22 from the free-throw line despite the loss. The 6-foot-8 wing has the kind of game that makes people take notice fast.
UCLA should also have some help around him. Jaylen Petty and Trent Perry are positioned to ease some of the burden, and that trio could give the Bruins a lively wing rotation.
For UCLA, the intrigue is obvious. Kusturica arrives with enormous buzz, Cronin is already managing the spotlight around him, and the season is getting closer with more questions than answers.
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