UCLA Basketball Needs To Make A Change To Its Starting Five
UCLA is sitting in unfamiliar territory nine games into its 2023-24 season.
The Bruins sit at 5-4, a record that might not be all that surprising when contextualizing the reality of the team. This is unquestionably one of -- if not the youngest basketball team in Division 1.
Mick Cronin lost the vast majority of a group that enjoyed tons of success at a high level. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is starring for the Miami Heat, Tyger Campbell is playing for a professional team in France, Amari Bailey is on the Charlotte Hornets roster. Jaylen Clark is with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sharpshooter David Singleton is with the Atlanta Hawks.
Cronin signed seven freshmen this past offseason. Four of those first-year players hail from Europe. All of a sudden, young players Adem Bona and Dylan Andrews have been thrust into lead roles for the first time in their respective careers.
This is a brand new team going through the growing pains associated with inexperience. While this might not be the norm for the most storied program in the sport, it's the reality of the situation.
All four of UCLA's losses came versus high major competition. Additionally, the losses were all by less than 10 points. Each game was very winnable, something that should ease the pain a bit. It's rare for a Cronin-led team to get blown out, and thus far the tough non-conference schedule has illustrated that. Gonzaga, Marquette, Villanova, and Ohio State all project to be tournament teams.
For all of the 'moral victories' that have come from these games, the fact remains that UCLA still lost all four. With one more shot at a signature non-conference win remaining (Maryland at home), the Bruins need to figure things out in a hurry. Otherwise, they could be on the outside looking in come March.
What can Cronin do from a personnel standpoint?
Thus far, Cronin has primarily opted for a two-post lineup featuring Bona and highly-touted freshman Aday Mara. In theory, there are some interesting wrinkles the Bruins could employ with a skilled 7'3" center and a freakishly athletic 6'10" power forward. The thought of a high-low game is attractive considering Mara's elite ability as a passer.
Duly, the sheer size of a Mara-Bona combination is quite imposing. Most teams can't match up with that length. With that said, UCLA hasn't been able to take advantage of this premise. Mara is still learning the American style of play. He has gotten much better in terms of hedging in pick-and-roll situations. He's also done a decent job protecting the rim. Still, Mara has a way to go from a conditioning and physicality standpoint.
The biggest disappointment thus far has been Bona. There was a ton of hype surrounding his sophomore year. Spurning the NBA, he was supposed to come back and be UCLA's top option on offense. Bona's skill development over the summer was delayed due to recovering from shoulder surgery. Since coming back, he looks very rushed when getting the ball on the block.
He's also not a naturally skilled offensive player despite his unparalleled athletic ability. As such, there are times where Bona forces things, or simply doesn't make the right read when attempting to unfurl some sort of post-move.
There's also the facet of having both Bona and Mara on the floor defensively. For as gifted as Bona is on the defensive end of the floor, having him guard smaller, quicker players on the perimeter takes away his biggest strength, which is defending the rim. Why would you want your best post defender chasing guards 40 feet from the basket?
This level of frustration has manifested in Bona picking up 2 to 3 cheap fouls every single game. This limits his rhythm on the offense end and effectively keeps him on the bench longer than anyone would like.
If we look back at what has made UCLA successful over the last four years, what can we point to? It's quite simple: A mobile, versatile player at the four spot. While Jaquez Jr. isn't walking through this door any time soon, the one decision Cronin can make is starting him squarely in the face.
Go small.
The college game is widely predicated on teams with undersized personnel compared to the NBA. Jaquez Jr. may be a guard/forward with the Heat, but he was the pseudo 'power forward' for the Bruins. His versatility, switchability, and athleticism enabled UCLA to ramp up things on the defensive end of the floor.
At the very least, UCLA should look to put Bona back at the five spot in the post. Having Mara spell him for 10-15 minutes as the backup center makes a ton of sense.
As for the four spot, the Bruins have multiple options. In a perfect world, Berke Buyuktuncel would occupy that spot. His year has truly been snake-bit by a host of issues. He wasn't cleared to play until the Maui Invitational As such, Buyuktuncel was out of shape and not in any sort of basketball-playing rhythm. Simulating chemistry in practice is one thing, but learning your teammates' nuances and tendencies during competition is the real barometer for on-court camaraderie.
He then suffered a bad ankle sprain versus UC Riverside -- preventing him from playing at Villanova and against Ohio State. From a skill set standpoint, he's quite similar to Jaquez Jr., except he's two inches taller. It'll take some time for him to fully recover from the ankle injury. While we expect Buyuktunel to be a big x-factor for this program moving forward, it's unlikely he'll be thrust into a starting spot anytime soon.
Utah transfer Lazar Stefanovic has been a better rebounder than anyone could've imagined. You could see a scenario where Cronin moves him to the four spot, with Will McClendon coming into the starting lineup. However, if that does happen, UCLA might be too small. The Bruins would theoretically be starting three guards (McClendon, Dylan Andrews, Sebastian Mack) 6'3" or shorter.
New York City freshman Brandon Williams has been impressive in limited time on the floor. He does all of the little things for UCLA and does have a high basketball I.Q. He's a bigger player than Stefanovic or Jaquez Jr., though he's probably not the shooter either of those guys is/were. Still, he's a physical presence with an unselfish mindset. He's also tough -- something Cronin loves.
While those two scenarios might bear themselves out, there's one which, in my estimation, is the best one.
Cronin should start Ilane Fibleuil at the four.
The true freshman out of France is arguably the most athletic player on the team not named Adem Bona. At the very least, he's the most athletic wing defender on the team. He's an unselfish player, always looking to make the extra pass rather than taking a wild shot. Fibleuil has demonstrated stretches where he's got the upside of an elite on-ball defender. Also, from a instincts standpoint, Fibleuil is a very good offensive rebounder.
There are some eerily similar traits when comparing Fibleuil to Clark. Clark didn't gain Cronin's trust until later in the season during the Final Four run. If one remembers, he was instrumental in helping UCLA beat Alabama. With the frontcourt in foul trouble, Clark played the center spot at 6'5". As a true freshman going up against future NBA player Herb Jones, Clark nabbed nine rebounds in 19 minutes.
Clark and Fibleuil are built differently. Clark had the frame of a linebacker with terrific short-area quickness. Fibleuil has a longer build with more vertical athleticism.
With Fibleuil next to Bona, UCLA would be able to switch on all screens without worrying about being torched off the bounce. Those two would also provide UCLA with an enhanced ability to get out and score in transition. Since the offense has struggled big time thus far early in the year, giving your team a chance to get a cluster of easy baskets could go a long way in helping the team flow better.
Cronin is usually one to adapt quite well when something isn't working. If conference play rolls around, and the team continues to struggle on the offensive end of the floor, a change likely will be made.
Fibleuil does have the upside of an all-league defender -- and the sooner Cronin realizes this, the better it will be for UCLA.
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