The multiverse is a theory that explains the existence of other universes beyond the observable one.
In another universe, guard Sebastian Mack is playing at Florida State.
Perhaps in that same universe or another entirely, guard/forward Brandon Williams is representing St. John’s.
But in this universe, the freshman duo chose coach Mick Cronin and UCLA.
Thus, the multiverse is not merely a figment of science fiction – it’s a representation of the perfect storm of circumstance and toughness uniting two four-star recruits with a coaching staff that has invested in and trusted two newcomers.
Mack and Williams not only don UCLA jerseys – they grace the court in those uniforms from the first whistle. The two freshmen are starters on a young squad that lost four starters, securing the nod at different times in the season but for similar reasons.
“Trying to get your best lineup on the floor,” Cronin said of his decision to start them. “It’s definitely not because of their looks, but it’s hard to live up to what your head coach looks like.”
Parallel worlds and the pathway to Westwood
Committing to a program requires buy-in from both players and coaches on team philosophy. Mack and Williams said they chose UCLA for the coaching staff’s pedigree in player development, viewing Westwood as a place to cast their roots deep and cultivate consistent growth.
“Coaching – that played a part in everything,” Williams said. “He’s (Cronin is) big on developing players, and that’s what I want to do. I want to keep developing and get where I want to go: the next level.”
CJ Steed, Williams’ coach on the New York Gauchos AAU team, said the freshman wasn’t exactly satisfied with the impression he made on Cronin in a game at the now-Crypto.com arena.
“He was mad after the game he probably didn’t play good enough,” Steed said. “But Mick saw the potential in him and followed through with him for his whole (junior year) spring.”
But along with Cronin’s courting came the burden of choice. For Williams, deciding between UCLA and St. John’s – a program practically in his backyard – was difficult. The Queens local said moving across the country and away from the support system of his family forced a complicated cost-benefit analysis as a senior in high school.
Williams was nervous, but he eventually knew where he needed to be. On the night of his commitment announcement, he gave associate head coach Darren Savino a call.
“I was like, ‘Coach, I’m committed. I’m going to come here,’” Williams said. “I was crying. I was like, ‘This is crazy.’ It was crazy. I was scared.”
Mack considered a similar bicoastal debate in his recruitment, wherein Florida State’s coaches expressed considerable interest. Jeff Kaufman, Mack’s coach at Coronado High School, said Mack’s relatives saw Florida State as a solid fit.
But Kaufman was convinced otherwise.
“All along, I’m thinking, ‘This is a kid that needs Mick Cronin. Period. End of story,’” Kaufman said. “I had reached out to Mick a few times, and I had said, ‘I’m telling you, you’re going to want this guy.’”
Cronin scouted Mack as a shooter, and he was convinced. UCLA extended an offer, then Mack took an official visit that offered a glimpse of Westwood and the UCLA culture. The experience proved pivotal to his ultimate decision.
“Cronin has a hell of a roster in terms of developing players into who they want to be,” Mack said. “That was really a big reason why I came here.”
A spellbinding start
During the recruitment process, Mack said he hoped scouts could see how he feels at home on any court he steps onto.
Pauley Pavilion was no different.
Mack posted breakout performances in the Bruins’ staple arena to open the season, showing the Westwood contingent what the previously unfamiliar commit was capable of. In his first three games at Pauley Pavilion, he averaged 12.7 points and secured a start in UCLA’s first and third matchups.
“My main focus was just coming here and playing to the best of my abilities,” Mack said. “I just tried to do whatever it took to be successful. … But it was cool, coming out here and being able to showcase my talents in Pauley Pavilion.”
And his scoring production didn’t suffer when the competition soon became stiffer.
In the subsequent Maui Invitational, Mack put up 25 and 16 points against then-No. 4 Marquette and then-No. 11 Gonzaga, respectively. He’s now tied with sophomore forward/center Adem Bona as the Bruins’ leading scorer, starting all but three games.
“I never anticipated that Sebastian was going to come to UCLA and start and that Sebastian was going to come and be their leading scorer,” Kaufman said. “He’s on a much quicker track. … His development is unlimited.”
Coincidentally, Williams logged his first start in Mack’s absence against Cal State Northridge on Dec. 19. But since Jan. 27 at USC, Williams has slotted into the starting five on a regular basis.
Surveying the Bruins’ roster of seven freshmen, Williams refused to be counted out. His midseason nod was a testament to the rookie’s tenacity and self-belief.
“I knew I was going to have to find a way to get on the court,” Williams said. “My mom and dad were just telling me, ‘You’ve got to keep fighting, keep playing hard, doing the right things. You’ll get your chance.’ … I just stuck with that philosophy of doing everything that everybody else won’t.”
And Cronin took note.
“He’s a rare freshman that physically is tough enough to play at this level,” Cronin said. “Although he’s the youngest guy on our team and, what, the fifth youngest in college basketball or something like that.”
Despite neither reclassifying nor graduating early, Williams entered UCLA’s season at 17 years old. He turned 18 in November and is one of the youngest Division I players in the country.
Being young for his grade means routinely facing older players, particularly in an era of frequent redshirting and lingering COVID-19 eligibility. But it’s not enough to faze the young power forward.
“Just the thought of it is like, yeah, he’s 24, I’m 18 – this is about to be a long day,” Williams said. “We’ve all been playing basketball forever. It really comes down to who wants it most at the end of the day.”
Bona said both Williams and Mack have adapted to the intensity of the college game impressively.
“Brandon is a tough kid, from watching the games you can see he fights for every ball, he goes for every rebound,” Bona said. “I also think Baz (Mack) is one of the toughest kids on our team. He chases balls on everyone on offense. You can see whenever he drives to the rim, destroying his body.”
Magic of the moment
While still honoring their individual journeys, Mack and Williams could be considered two sides of the same coin. Mack immediately fell in love with the game; Williams hated it at the start. The latter was told he was too nonchalant and didn’t play hard enough in high school, while the former has possessed a grit and urgency that Kaufman attributed to Mack’s upbringing in Chicago.
But their experiences have converged at Westwood’s crossroads under the direction of Cronin.
In another universe, UCLA’s team would be older. The most experienced Bruins on the floor wouldn’t be a pair of sophomores. Cronin would have his pick at more than one upperclassman transfer.
“On a veteran team, he’d (Mack) play about five minutes a game,” Cronin said after an away loss to Oregon on Dec. 30.
The fifth-year coach reiterated in the final days of the regular season that freshmen can only handle so many minutes. And yet, these are the cards that Cronin and his coaching staff collected in the offseason.
In the hallowed halls of a program that most recently produced NBA talents Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Jaylen Clark, Mack and Williams have their sights set on a similar trajectory.
“I just want to be one of the better players that came through this program,” Williams said.
Buttressed by a spirit of toughness, they revel in the opportunity and continue to trust the method to the madness.
“I’m loving it here,” Mack said. “I’m just going to take it step by step.”
Whether it’s chance or providence creating the conditions for the current reality, Mack and Williams have emphatically embraced each part of the process as they progress in their rookie season.
And maybe a stroke of sorcery dictates a small part of this universe.
“I wouldn’t call him (Cronin) a wizard,” Mack said earlier this season. “But, I mean, the stuff he does say usually ends up happening.”
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