UCLA Basketball: Mick Cronin Coins Latest Bruins Transfer Guard as 'Godsend'

Staying in conference hoping for some similar big results!

Playing his first two seasons at the University of Utah under head coach Craig Smith, guard Lazar Stefanovic transferred to UCLA to play for the Bruins in the 2023 season. 

Asked by the media about his newest veteran player, Bruins head coach Mick Cronin spoke on the joy of having such a talent at his disposal given the heavy turnover for the roster from this year to last. 

"He is a godsend for us. First of all when you have so many freshmen that don't know what they're doing. To have a guy out there that you tell him once and he's already been trained. He started for two years in the Pac-12. It's going to be really important to have a veteran guy like him that's averaged double figures. He sets a great example for our guys as far as work ethic. He's as good as I've seen with that. From his eating to his strength and conditioning, his stretching routines. He's a professional, he's an adult. We got a lot of kids. So, it's good for them."

via Bruin Report Online

Stefanovic put up averages of 10 points, three boards and nearly three assists last year while playing in Utah and Cronin clearly liked what he saw out of the Serbian product. 

Losing veterans such as Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Amari Bailey over the years has made this current Bruin team an iteration of transition, but not according to Cronin. 

Bringing Stefanovic as well as other European talent to the roster will certainly help ease such growing pains, though some of the newest Bruins will be unavailable for their Spanish exhibition slate. 

Cronin is clearly looking to reload and not rebuild and at least one key factor in such a turnaround has already gotten heavy praise from the Bruins head coach.