After Steve Alford was fired by UCLA back in 2019, the Bruins began what became an exhausting head coaching search that eventually landed on Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin. He took over and led the Bruins through the pandemic, taking UCLA to a surprise Final Four run in just his second season. In the half-decade since then, he’s won a ton of games and taken the Bruins into the Big Ten with relative success, but has Cronin lived up to expectations?
That Final Four run certainly gave a lot of juice to Cronin’s tenure but it’s not hard to be disappointed that this team hasn’t reached the Sweet Sixteen since 2023. Cronin swung big this past offseason, adding one of the top names in the transfer portal in Donovan Dent to an already very talented rotation, but the result was 24 wins and just sixth place in what was a very strong Big Ten.
However, the page always turns to next year and things are going to be quite different in Westwood. UCLA won’t have Dent or star forward Tyler Bilodeau but they do actually return some significant talent. Xavier Booker, Eric Dailey, and Trent Perry are all back and should play starring roles next season. The Bruins are also hoping that Eric Freeny and Brandon Williams can take major steps forward in the backcourt as well.
After selling out for Dent, the Bruins didn’t really go for broke in the portal this season, though they did add four pretty solid names nonetheless. Texas Tech guard Jaylen Petty should step into a big role after averaging just under 10 points per game for the Red Raiders, while Azavier Robinson comes from Butler and should be a key depth piece in this backcourt.
The frontcourt garners a new European touch, notably with the addition of former Auburn former Filip Jovic, who put up solid figures with the Tigers last season. The other add is another former SEC big in Sergej Macura, who had a decent showing at Mississippi State as an underclassman.
Throw in a few intriguing freshman, including defensive stalwart Joe Philon, and the Bruins just might have the talent and depth to do something this season. They’re not adding the star power like Dent but have some very good returning pieces and filled those roster holes with these portal pieces. Just because UCLA didn’t go for broke and dish out millions doesn’t mean this team can’t contend in the Big Ten.
UCLA was an early disappointment last season and Cronin knows he can’t go down that road again. The goodwill from his Final Four run is surely wearing off five years later and it’s fair to wonder if he’s entering this season firmly on the hot seat. After all, UCLA was built on a winning culture and expect nothing less even as relatively new members of the Big Ten. Do you think this lineup can actually be that winning team even without a big portal splash?
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