UCLA Basketball: Bruins Land in Top 25 of 2024 Recruiting Class Rankings

Mick Cronin is making a sharp pivot.

Mar 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts against the Oregon Ducks in the first half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Mick Cronin's new-look UCLA Bruins recruiting class has been listed as the No. 24-best collection of talent heading into the 2024-25 season, per ESPN:

The FINAL 2024 men’s basketball recruiting class rankings per @espn 🏀 pic.twitter.com/b71jy4dqrp

— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) June 13, 2024

Cronin's group includes a pair of Southern California locals, in four-star Harvard Westlake point guard Trent Perry and four-star Centennial shooting guard Eric Freeny. The 6-foot-4 Perry is considered the No. 33-best player among their class of rising seniors, while Freeny is listed as the No. 68-best overall. Positionally, Perry is ocnsidered the No. 4-best point guard prospect, while Freeny is viewed as the No. 14-best shooting guard, per 247Sports.

After several of Cronin's international recruits circa 2023 struggled to find their footing at the NCAA level last season, Cronin decided to prioritize local prospects and intriguing transers.

On that front, he's bringing on 6-foot-3 former Louisville Cardinals point guard Skyy Clark (a rising junior who'll be playing for his third college team, having spent his freshman season at Illinois), ex-Loyola Marymount shooting guard Dominick Harris (who, like Clark, will be playinf for his third NCAA program, having logged time with Gonzaga prior to LMU), former two-time Pac-12 All-Defensive Team USC Trojans small forward Kobe Johnson, and trio of 6-foot-8 big men in former Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Eric Dailey, ex-Oregon State Beavers big Tyler Bilodeau, and former South Dakota State big William Kyle.

The Blue and Gold are looking to bounce back from a miserable 16-17 run in 2023-24, having lost star sophomore power forward/center Adem Bona, their best player and defensive anchor, to this year's NBA draft.

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