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UCLA Basketball: Expert Omits Bruins From List Of Teams With Top 2024 NCAA Odds

Are people sleeping on Mick Cronin's team?
Jason Fray|
UCLA Basketball: Expert Omits Bruins From List Of Teams With Top 2024 NCAA Odds
UCLA Basketball: Expert Omits Bruins From List Of Teams With Top 2024 NCAA Odds

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With your UCLA Bruins virtually competing with a brand new team this season, those in the media aren't necessarily bullish on UCLA's chances to win a national title in 2024. 

Jamie Shaw of On3.com recently broke down the 10 teams he felt could win a title this upcoming year. 

In alphabetical order he listed the following squads: Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Duke, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan State, and Purdue. As you can see, Bruin fans... UCLA is nowhere to be seen. 

According to Bovada Sportsbook (as of August 15), UCLA has been given +3300 odds of winning it all this season. The current favorite is Kansas (+950) followed by Duke (+1200) and Michigan State (+1200). 

Mick Cronin's team underwent a serious overhaul from a season ago. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jalen Clark, and Amari Bailey are all now in the NBA. Sharpshooter and team leader David Singleton has graduated, and four-year starting point guard Tyger Campbell recently inked a deal to play professionally in France. 

Campbell, Clark, Singleton, and Jaquez represent not only lost statistical production, but also the core of Cronin's last four teams. The quartet won a ton of basketball games together. Each represented UCLA exceptionally well in the process. 

The only four scholarship players returning with any experience include Adem Bona, Dylan Andrews, Will McClendon, and Kenny Nwuba. Abramo Canka (Wake Forest) and Mac Etienne (DePaul) transferred out of the program. 

Bona's return is immense. A virtual human pogo stick, he tested the NBA waters -- though returned primarily due to a surgical procedure he had on his shoulder. In a recent interview with Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times, Cronin made a pretty declarative statement about his talented big man: 

"Adem's going to be our best player."

- Mick Cronin (via LA Times)

Andrews is the projected breakout star of the bunch. He played sparingly behind Campbell last year. With that said, the internship behind a multi-time All-Conference point guard should pay off well. Andrews is a freakish athlete with some of the best quickness in all of college basketball. On the defense end, he'll hound opposing guards 94 feet with ease. 

McClendon is a reserve guard mostly known for his defensive ability. The same can be said for Nwuba -- a still somewhat raw sixth-year player with sharp elbows, decent athleticism, and a well-liked personality amongst the team. Those two will be nice depth pieces. 

With all of that said, it's the eight newcomers to the roster which has many in Westwood very excited. 

"Just a guy who can do everything -- a very versatile player. There's a reason every NBA team knows who he is."

- Mick Cronin on Berke Buyuktuncel (per LA Times)

Among them include a quartet of highly-regarded prospects from Europe. 7'3" big man Aday Mara (Spain), 6'9" forward Berke Buyuktuncel (Turkey), 6'6" wing Ilane Fibleuil (France), and 6'6" guard Jan Vide (Slovenia) all signed with the Bruins. Each come to the United States with decorated careers overseas. 

Of the four, Mara and Buyuktuncel are considered to be probable NBA First Round picks -- potentially as soon as after this year. Utah 6'7" sharpshooting wing Lazar Stefanovic transferred in from Utah over the offseason. Continuing with the global theme of UCLA's roster, he's projected to start at the small forward spot for the Bruins. 

"Sebastian Mack is going to surprise a lot of people with how good he is. He's always in attack mode and he's got great toughness, so you know that's something I believe in." 

- Mick Cronin on Sebastian Mack (per The LA Times)

From there, there's the three incoming freshmen. 6'11" big man Devin Williams is a local kid from the Inland Empire. Though rail-thin, he's an excellent shot blocker and a true winner from his high school days. 

New York City native Brandon Williams also made the trek West to play at UCLA. At 6'7", he's got some combo skills as a dual guard/forward. The staff is said to be exceptionally high on his potential. 

Lastly, there's 6'3" guard Sebastian Mack. Hailing from Las Vegas by way of Chicago, he's an explosive guard with real scoring ability. Though a bit underrated due to not playing at a powerhouse prep/private high school, reports indicate that Mack's been one of -- if not the best player for UCLA during the offseason.

Time will tell as to how good this UCLA team will be. They'll have to gel in what will be a monstrous non-conference schedule. With that said, even if the team gets off to a somewhat rocky start, don't be shocked if Cronin has this team playing some really good basketball by the time March rolls around. 

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Jason Fray
JASON FRAY

Jason Fray is a proud native of Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA in 2011, he's written for a number of publications -- including Bleacher Report, FOX Sports, Saturday Down South, and New Arena. In his downtime, he enjoys writing scripts, going to shows, weekly pub trivia with the boys, trying the best hole-in-the-wall food spots around town, and traveling (22 countries & counting). 

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