UCLA Basketball News: CBB Insider Expects Bruins Sophomore to Dominate in Year 2

He is going to come ready!

When looking at all of the exciting pieces that the UCLA Bruins will be welcoming to their organization for the first time and also running it back with, there are few that will be more motivated to make an immediate impact like Adem Bona.

The 6'10 forward started 32 out of 33 games for the Bruins in his 2022-2023 freshman campaign and averaged around seven points, five rebounds and two blocks and did most of his best work down low in the paint. His presence alone completely changed UCLA's defensive dynamic and every time an opposing player drove to the rim, they thought twice before going up on Bona.

FIVE STAR big man Adem Bona has committed to UCLA 🔵🟡 pic.twitter.com/YOseKRIhmG

— Overtime (@overtime) November 1, 2021

However, even though Bona was on the path to the NBA after his freshman season and also was playing a key role in UCLA making a huge run in the March Madness tournament, we all know what happened. Numerous shoulder injuries ruined everything he had been building with the squad all year and after the Bruins lost to Gonzaga, Bona withdrew his name from the draft and opted to stay one more year in Los Angeles.

And a CBB insider by the name of Jon Rothstein has reason to believe he'll come back even better this season.

Adem Bona's final five games for UCLA before going down in the Pac-12 Tournament with a shoulder injury: 7.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 2.4 BPG in 22.2 MPG.

Should explode like a volcano as a sophomore.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 1, 2023

"Adem Bona's final five games for UCLA before going down in the Pac-12 Tournament with a shoulder injury: 7.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 2.4 BPG in 22.2 MPG. Should explode like a volcano as a sophomore."

We cannot wait to see him back in action!