Reports: UCLA Men's Basketball F Mac Etienne Enters Transfer Portal

After an enrolling early and missing a full season with a torn ACL, the big man is leaving the Bruins behind for a new destination.

Another Bruin is on his way out of Westwood.

UCLA men's basketball forward/center Mac Etienne has entered the transfer portal, according to reports from ESPN's Jeff Borzello, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online and others on Thursday. Etienne, who has three years of eligibility remaining, had until midnight to enter his name into the portal before it closed.

Etienne becomes the second Bruin to enter the transfer portal this offseason, with Italian wing Abramo Canka reportedly doing so on Wednesday. Prior to this week, only two players had entered the portal since coach Mick Cronin arrived in April 2019 – forward Shareef O'Neal and guard Jake Kyman.

Etienne initially committed to UCLA on Nov. 20, 2020, seemingly joining the program's 2021 recruiting class as the No. 49 recruit in the country. However, the four-star big man out of Brewster Academy (NH) did not have a senior season due to COVID-19, so he enrolled in college early to join the Bruins in December.

After making his debut against USC the following February, Etienne appeared in 13 contests for UCLA that year. Etienne averaged 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game while shooting 60.0% from the field, and he even checked in for a couple games during the Bruins' surprise 2021 Final Four run.

A torn ACL kept Etienne out for the entirety of the 2021-2022 season, although the 6-foot-10 prospect did make headlines when he spit in the direction of an Arizona fan after a road loss in Tucson.

Etienne returned to the court this past fall, and he averaged 1.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 6.8 minutes per game across 32 appearances. The big man did improve his player efficiency rating from 12.4 to 14.1 and his win shares per 40 minutes from 0.087 to 0.161, but his true shooting percentage dropped from 55.4% to 43.9%.

As was the case with Canka, sources told All Bruins that Etienne's decision to transfer was partially due to a potential logjam of minutes in the projected rotation at his position.

Point guard Dylan Andrews, guard Will McClendon and forward/center Kenneth Nwuba may be the only scholarship players set to return to UCLA, but guard Sebastian Mack, forward Brandon Williams and forward/center Devin Williams all signed on to join the program's 2023 recruiting class last November. Utah wing Lazar Stefanovic transferred to UCLA in April, right before French shooting guard Ilane Fibleuil verbally committed to the Bruins, while guard Jaylen Clark and center Adem Bona could still back out of the NBA Draft pool.

UCLA is reportedly on the verge of bringing in Spanish center Aday Mara, and sources have told All Bruins that the staff is also interested in adding multiple other international prospects.

Etienne was already stuck behind Bona and Nwuba in the post rotation last year, and he likely would have gotten even less playing time with Mara and Devin Williams joining the fray.

Instead, he will be hitting the open market looking for a new home.

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