UCLA Basketball: Mick Cronin Criticizes His Best Player As Bruins Reel

Is it warranted?

Following a team practice today, UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin had some surprisingly critical words during a presser for his overall best player, sophomore center/power forward Adem Bona.

"His aggressiveness and his intensity are never in question but dialing back at the right time is obviously the learning curve for him that he's still got to overcome," Cronin said.

“The biggest thing that you can do, as a coach in any sport, is to – and this is hard now – to get guys to focus on the process and not the result.”

Coach Cronin, on helping younger players to gain confidence pic.twitter.com/6Nz9U677cx

— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) January 25, 2024

The Bruins currently find themselves at a paltry 8-11 record on the year, though they do seem to have found something lately, having gone 2-1 across their past three bouts.

Bona has been solid during his second stint with the Bruins but, to Cronin's point, his overeagerness has proven costly at times.

Across 26.5 minutes a night, Bona is averaging 12.2 points on 60.7% field goal shooting, six rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.3 steals and 1.2 dimes.

Last year, the 6'10" big man was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team as well as the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, as well as the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.

Next up, the Bruins will do battle against another 8-11 Pac-12 Los Angeles club, crosstown nemeses the USC Trojans. That meeting is scheduled for this Saturday at the Galen Center, and will be broadcast on ESPN2 and AM 1150. Tip is slated for 5 p.m. PT.