UCLA Basketball: Starting Lineup Change May Have Hurt Bruins More Than Normal

Did Mick make a mistake?

Heading into Thursday's matchup against the Utah Utes, your UCLA Bruins were looking for a spark.

Fans and pundits alike had long been agitating for a return to the starting lineup for anticipated freshman phenom Aday Mara, a 7'3" center from Spain who has struggled mightily on defense. 

So Mick Cronin did just that, slotting Mara next to All-Pac-12 sophomore Adem Bona, who shifted down a spot to his perhaps more-natural power forward position. This was done in part in a bid against a jumbo-sized Utes front line.

At one point, as Bolch notes, Cronin opted to play Bona next to 6'10" redshirt senior Kenneth Nwuba and UCLA's second-highest touted freshman, underperforming 6'9" forward Berke Buyuktuncel. 

These choices, sadly made little difference. 

UCLA lost by the second-worst margin in school history, a 90-44 decimation to the Utes. The Bruins fall to 6-10 on the year.

Cronin explained his decision to get bigger with Mara in the first five, per Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times.

“Just trying to get some scoring with Aday,” Cronin explained, “but he just keeps giving up layups, so it’s hard.”

Mara played just 12 minutes, and finished with as many points (two) as he did personal fouls, while grabbing one rebound and a block, and coughing up two turnovers.