UCLA Basketball: Star Bruin Named To Defensive Player Of The Year Watchlist

The Bruins' defense has been the calling card all season long.

The UCLA Bruins' defense has been their calling card all season long. It has allowed them to find their way through some major adversity from earlier in the season, and they are now reaping the benefits from it. 

UCLA has now won six of their last seven games, stemming from the strong defensive effort. They are led by star Adem Bona on the defensive front, and he has been named to the watchlist for the Defensive Players of the Year.

"UCLA sophomore Adem Bona has been named to the 15-man watch list for this season's Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award, as announced on Thursday by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Bona, a 6-foot-10 forward/center from the Ebonyi State in Nigeria, is the only player from the Pac-12 Conference listed among the 15 midseason candidates for the defensive award."



Per UCLABruins.com

With Bona leading the way, the Bruins have posted the No. 1-ranked scoring defense in the Pac-12. They are allowing 65.7 points per game, and their scoring defense ranks among the top 15 in the nation. 

Bona ranks in the top 40 players across the country in blocked shots, helping to his cause for the honor. He is averaging 1.9 blocks per game and has averaged 2.5 blocks per game in conference play for UCLA.

"Bona has shot 60.6 percent from the field this season, connecting on 103 of 170 shot attempts. Last season, Bona was one of five Pac-12 student-athletes who was named to the Pac-12's All-Defensive Team."

Per UCLABruins.com

If Bona can keep up the strong work on the defensive side of the ball and UCLA continues to win, he may have a shot at winning the award. It's been a great season for him, and the hope is that he can continue to lead this team on the defensive front.