UCLA Basketball: Could Bruins Miss Out On International Prospect With Assistant Gone?

One of the Bruins' best recruiters is moving on.

Former UCLA Bruins assistant coach Ivo Simovic was known as the club's top recruiter for international hopefuls. Among this year's new additions, he's the guy to thank for helping UCLA land freshmen Ilane Fibleuil and Jan Vide, along with Utah Utes transfer Lazar Stefanovic.

Now that Simovic has departed for a position with the Toronto Raptors, UCLA's immediate future as a top destination for non-American prospects appears to be somewhat in flux.

7'3" Casademont Zaragoza center Aday Mara, a possible future lottery pick, had long been considered a potential UCLA prospect for the upcoming 2023-24 season. Will the absence of Simovic adversely impact the the potential addition of the 18-year-old Liga ACB star?

Across 22 contests last season for Zaragoza, Mara looked pretty raw, averaging 5.3 points on 57.6% shooting from the floor, 3.2 rebounds, 0.5 dimes and 0.9 blocks a night, across 11.8 minutes per.

20-year-old UCLA big man Adem Bona, the Bruins' 6'10" Pac-12 All-Defensive Teamer and Freshman of the Year, may be hopping to the NBA himself next summer. If Bona is planning an exit and Mara is out of the running, UCLA may need to look elsewhere to shore up its frontcourt in the future. Or perhaps it could source another great international recruiter.