The 2024 UCLA Bruins came into the season with something to prove. After a disappointing 16-17 finish in 2023-a year marked by one of the most stagnant offenses in college basketball-there was no sugarcoating it: this was a program trying to rediscover its identity.
Just a few years removed from national title contention, the Bruins needed a reset. And they got one, thanks to a revamped roster built through the transfer portal and a renewed focus on balance.
Mick Cronin and his staff didn’t just dip into the portal-they dove in headfirst. The additions of Eric Dailey Jr., Tyler Bilodeau, William Kyle III, Kobe Johnson, and Skyy Clark brought experience, versatility, and a much-needed jolt of offensive potential. Pair that with returning pieces like Aday Mara, Sebastian Mack, Lazar Stefanovic, and Dylan Andrews, and the Bruins had the makings of a team that could turn things around quickly-if the chemistry came together.
That was the big “if.” But early signs pointed to progress.
Offensively, UCLA made a noticeable leap. After averaging just 66 points per game in 2023, the Bruins bumped that number up to 74.2 in 2024.
That’s a significant jump, especially considering they didn’t sacrifice defense to get there. In fact, they improved on that end too, holding opponents to just 65.2 points per game.
That’s the kind of two-way efficiency Cronin’s best teams have been built on.
The Bruins rolled out a nontraditional starting five, leaning into a three-guard look while asking Bilodeau and Dailey Jr. to play up a position. It was an experiment rooted in versatility and switchability, but it came with trade-offs. The spacing wasn’t always ideal, and the offense could feel cramped-especially against teams that packed the paint.
Still, the results in the regular season were solid. UCLA finished 22-9, a clear step forward from the year before.
But momentum stalled in the postseason. A lopsided 86-70 loss to Wisconsin in the opening round of the Big Ten tournament raised red flags.
The Bruins had earned a No. 7 seed in the Midwest for the NCAA Tournament, but questions lingered about their ceiling.
They answered the bell in the Round of 64, dismantling Utah State 72-47 with a suffocating defensive performance. But that momentum didn’t carry over.
In the Round of 32, UCLA ran into a physical, disciplined Tennessee squad and couldn’t buy a bucket. The Bruins shot poorly, struggled to find rhythm, and bowed out with a 67-58 loss.
Another early exit. Another offseason full of uncertainty.
And then came the roster shake-up.
Several players hit the transfer portal, and the Bruins were left to reevaluate what worked-and what didn’t. In hindsight, the 2024 roster never quite fit together.
Shooting was a persistent issue, and the floor spacing often felt congested. Two of the more intriguing frontcourt pieces, William Kyle III and Aday Mara, saw limited minutes despite their size and defensive upside.
That decision looks even more puzzling now.
After transferring, both Kyle III and Mara blossomed into defensive anchors. Kyle, in particular, has become one of the most impactful big men in the country.
Standing 6’9” and now at Syracuse, he’s averaging 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting an eye-popping 73% from the field. He’s also grabbing 1.3 steals per night-numbers that have vaulted him into NBA Draft discussions as one of the top defensive prospects in the class.
Meanwhile, the departures of Dylan Andrews and Sebastian Mack, while significant on paper, actually opened the door for the Bruins to recalibrate. With Bilodeau and Dailey Jr. moving back to their natural positions, UCLA was able to scrap the three-guard lineup that had caused so many spacing issues. It’s a classic case of addition by subtraction-something that’s already paying dividends heading into 2025.
The 2024 campaign didn’t end with a deep March run, but it did set the stage for a retooled version of UCLA basketball. One that’s leaning into positional balance, defensive identity, and smarter roster construction. The questions haven’t all been answered, but the Bruins are back on a path that feels a lot more familiar-and a lot more promising.