UCLA Basketball: International Bruins Prospect Lands With Stateside Prep Team

As we've seen with this latest recruiting class, Mick Cronin isn't shy about pursuing players with ties overseas.

In what's turned out to have been a star-studded 2023 class, Cronin went all over the globe for talent. Aday Mara (Spain), Ilane Fibleuil (France), Jan Vide (Slovenia), Berke Buyuktuncel (Turkey), and transfer Lazar Stefanovic (Serbia) all hail from Europe.

If you throw in current team members Adem Bona (Nigeria) and Kenneth Nwuba (Nigeria), seven of the team's 12 scholarship players hail from countries outside of the United States. It truly speaks to the globalization of the sport -- as well as Cronin's potential preference for guys who may be more mature from the jump compared to the average prospect from the States.

Based on one report from college basketball guru Andrew Slater, it appears as if the Bruins are on the hunt for yet another European prospect:

UCLA was in today at @BrewsterHoops for Dwayne Aristade’25 #Bruins 👀 pic.twitter.com/K1cLZSdOsY
— 𝒜𝓃𝒹𝓇ℯ𝓌 𝒮𝓁𝒶𝓉ℯ𝓇 (@Andrew__Slater) September 13, 2023

Slater reported that UCLA was in to visit with 2025 forward prospect Dwayne Aristode. Originally from the Netherlands, Aristode played most recently in Spain before deciding to come stateside -- joining Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.

The 6-foot-7 athlete can fluctuate between both wing spots with ease. At the 2022 FIBA u16 European Championships, Aristode shot 37.5 percent from three-point range on nine attempts per game. He also averaged 15.3 PPG and 9.0 RPG in this contest.

Top-50 2025 wing Dwayne Aristode has only been in the states for a few months, but looks primed for a breakout campaign at Brewster Academy (NH).

Heard from Duke, UCLA, UConn, Michigan State, Xavier, Alabama, Santa Clara & Boston College thus far.

👥 https://t.co/VZ06c7WMOE pic.twitter.com/MSTKOoVLye
— Max Feldman (@MaxFeldman6) August 15, 2023

It still appears to be rather early in the recruiting process for Aristode. One has to wonder if UCLA's European connections will give the Bruins a leg-up here in this recruitment. Based upon Aristode's athleticism plus perimeter range, he likely will be a hotly pursued prospect by many high-major universities.

UCLA will also be somewhat used as a case-test study when it comes to relying upon European talent in the wake of the NIL universe.

While Gonzaga and other programs have been fixtures in overseas recruiting, UCLA is the first true blue-blood program to transition heavily toward players across the pond.