UCLA's Perimeter Shooting Addressed in Transfer Portal

The UCLA Bruins were hardly an elite perimeter shooting team. But now, with one of the better transfer portals, they're projected as a top-10 team.

Mar 22, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reads during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The transfer portal has been awfully kind to the UCLA Bruins. The previously 20th-ranked team in the nation welcomes a myriad of scorers, who have helped the Bruins achieve a top-10 preseason rank.

Donovan Dent is among the more notable transfers, but the one that flies under the radar is Kansas City transfer Jamar Brown.

Brown was amongst the more efficient scorers in the Summit League, playing for the Roos, but in coach Mick Cronin’s defensive system, he could be the X-Factor that can help the Bruins get over the hump.

The Chandler, Arizona native won’t look out of place in Cronin’s system either, averaging 1.6 steals per game last season.

The old saying “defense wins championships” couldn’t be further from the truth; however, in modern basketball, you need above-average perimeter shooting to hang around.

In the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Tennessee, the Bruins only shot 30% from 3 on 23 attempts, while the Volunteers shot at a 50% clip from deep.

Enter Brown.

Brown isn’t a defensive wizard, and you shouldn’t expect that from him. But he has the capabilities to fit in just right at UCLA. Besides, the Bruins don’t need more defense in an already stacked defensive system, they need spacing.

“Unspectacular” would be the word to describe UCLA’s perimeter shooting. While it can hit the open shot, it wasn’t the main focus.

Last season, the Bruins’ lead 3-point shooters were star center Tyler Bilodeau and Skyy Clark. While Clark is more than capable from deep, he’s far from elite and isn’t the gamebreaker this team needs.

The addition of Dent will definitely help space the floor, but don’t be surprised if Brown overtakes Clark for the spot-up shooter role. Most of his shots from deep came from a catch-and-shoot variety, and his strengths lie from the corner or the top of the key.

Not only that, but Brown was one of the country’s efficient free-throw shooters. He shot 91.2% from the charity stripe, which was good enough for 13th in the country.

With Cronin demanding defense, Brown will need to hold his own on the floor. However, he typically makes room for specialists who can contribute without being ball-dominant. The pairing of he and Dent could work some magic, since Dent is a ball-dominant scorer, but if he were to ever find himself in trouble, he has Brown or Bilodeau waiting outside.

In a program that prides itself on grit and grind, Brown could become one of the more important additions to this program. All he needs to do is defend passably and stay efficient from deep.

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