UCLA Basketball: Insider Picks Ideal Starting 5 For Struggling Bruins

He may have a point.

Your UCLA Bruins men's basketball program is currently in the midst of what might charitably be considered a “rough patch.”

At 6-7 overall, the club has long ago fallen out of the Associated Press’ national top 25 teams list, having dropped five of its last six games. 

Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times thinks part of the issue is Mick Cronin’s current starting lineup. He may have a point.

After last night, I think the rotation answer for UCLA going forward is Brandon Williams at the four, Adem Bona at the five and Berke Buyuktuncel backing them both up so that you always have two of those three players on the court.

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) December 29, 2023

So this pitch demotes Berke Buyuktuncel, the more highly-regarded freshman prospect heading into the 2023-24 season, behind Brandon Williams, who has shown significant flashes already this season. It appears Bolch supports Cronin's decision to start freshman Sebastian Mack at the point, alongside sophomore Dylan Andrews and junior transfer Lazar Stefanovic on the wing.

Williams scored 11 points in just 19 minutes off the bench in the game to which Bolch is referring, a 69-62 road defeat of the Oregon State Beavers on December 28th. Buyuktuncel, despite starting, scored a scant five points. 

Bolch's pleas fell on deaf ears, apparently, as head coach Mick Cronin continued to start the Turkish forward in UCLA's subsequent game, a 64-59 December 30th loss to the Oregon Ducks. Buyuktuncel, to his credit, notched 12 points and three boards in just 21 minutes. But Williams played an equivalent amount of time too, as he continues to cut into Williams' playing time. He had a less successful night than did the starter, scoring six points, grabbing three boards and dishing out two dimes.