UCLA Basketball Injury Report: Bruins May Be Down 2 Key Forwards Vs Lafayette
Your 1-0 UCLA Bruins are looking to stay undefeated at this very, very early point in their 2023-24 NCAA season (their 105th!) tonight, when they'll host the 0-1 Lafayette Leopards at 8 p.m. PT.
Per Covers.com, UCLA's best player, 2023 Pac-12 All-Defense power forward Adem Bona, has been listed as questionable due to a lingering shoulder issue. The 6'10" sophomore big man out of Nigeria had his freshman season with the Bruins cut short last March when he first incurred the shoulder injury, and although he scored a career-best 28 points (and nine rebounds!) during Tuesday's season opening win against the Saint Francis University Red Flash, it appears that he may still be grappling with that ailment eight months later. That's not ideal, but it'd be better if he missed a little time at this point in the season than, say, the spring.
6'9" freshman small forward Berke Buyuktuncel, a projected 2024 NBA first round pick in many expert mock drafts, remains ineligible to play as he continues to deal with an NCAA issue. His fellow international freshman Bruin prospect, 7'3" center Aday Mara, was a late addition to UCLA's opening night lineup (Kenneth Nwuba started at the five instead, while Mara played sparingly) due to similar eligibility questions. One wonders if Buyuktuncel's situation will be resolved soon.
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