This post was updated Oct. 29 at 8:18 p.m.
UCLA – perhaps better known as “Under Construction Like Always” – has welcomed a new project to Westwood.
The rattlings of drills and jackhammers aren’t courtesy of the seismic scaffolding of Powell Library or the leveling of buildings on Strathmore Drive.
They’re the sound of UCLA men’s basketball breaking ground in the preseason.
“You’ve got to keep pounding nails,” said coach Mick Cronin. “It’s the only way you build a house.”
But even with eight newcomers – seven of whom are freshmen – Cronin isn’t constructing from scratch.
The fifth-year coach benefits from a cardinal cornerstone in sophomore forward/center and reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Adem Bona.
“Adem’s role changes vastly for us,” Cronin said. “That’s my job – to get him in that mindset, and then how to deal with being that type of guy. It’s going to be a growth process for him, offensively, to be much more of a focal point of our offense than he was a year ago.”
Bona has been fully cleared to practice following a shoulder injury sustained in early March. Cronin added that he is hopeful Bona will be ready to play in UCLA’s exhibition game against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Tuesday.
One of seven returning Bruins and the only remaining starter, Bona said he has embraced his leadership role in the transition between seasons. Bona added that learning from former guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and guards Tyger Campbell and David Singleton has proven important in preparing him for his newfound responsibilities.
“To be able to look up to guys like Jaime and Tyger, … they’d been in college for four years and had experience and been to the Final Four, I think gave me an upper hand,” Bona said. “Dave is a good role model to pick his brain, … and I think he’s given me great advice.”
Bona contributes to an integral cultural component of the team as well. He finds himself at the intersection of many of the Bruins’ backgrounds, identities and experiences and is capable of speaking three out of seven of the native tongues used among the Bruins this year.
He was born in Nigeria, like redshirt fifth-year forward/center Kenneth Nwuba; grew up in Turkey, where freshman forward Berke Buyuktuncel hails from; played in Europe like many of the international recruits including freshmen guards Ilane Fibleuil and Jan Vide; and played high school basketball in California against both sophomore guard Dylan Andrews and freshman forward Devin Williams.
“I have connections with almost everyone on the team,” Bona said. “I can tap into and see their point of view whenever we’re talking about stuff. It’s kind of really amazing, the different colorful languages in the locker room.”
Another tessera in UCLA’s international mosaic is Spain’s Aday Mara, widely touted as one of the top international recruits in his class. Standing at 7-foot-3, Mara supersedes Bona as the tallest Bruin. UCLA is reportedly facing difficulty gaining NCAA clearance for the freshman, according to the Los Angeles Times, but he is still practicing with the team.
The former Basket Zaragoza center has made an impression on Bona since moving to Westwood in early September after his Aug. 3 commitment.
“Aday is one of a kind,” Bona said. “He’s a funny kid, first of all. He’s unique, he’s super skilled. He loves the fancy passes because he’s a go-getter. He always wants to win.”
The two bigs haven’t shied away from informal mentorship and healthy competition while keeping in mind that successful construction also requires science.
“We’re working on the Kareem sky hook,” Bona said. “Aday got me in the lab.”
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