UCLA Basketball: With Transfer Portal Looming, Mick Cronin Critiques 5 Bruins For Same Issue

Will any of them stick around next season?

The 45-day NCAA basketball transfer porta window is primed to open up on March 18th.

It certainly sounds like an increasingly frustrated Mick Cronin would be happy to ditch several of your UCLA Bruins. 

Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times believes that the club’s European freshmen barely contributed in the team’s embarrassing loss Thursday night against the Arizona Wildcats. Ilane Fibleuil didn’t even play, highly-touted center prospect Aday Mara just suited up for two minutes, and only Jan Vide scored anything (eight points). Forward Berke Buyuktuncel, who like Mara is a preseason NBA first round draft pick, also gave the club very little.

“You just have to evaluate who you can build with and who gets better,” Cronin said. “But, no, I mean, a lot of our freshmen have not played the way and developed the way I would’ve hoped. … When you get outclassed, it’s obvious.”

Defensively, a furious Cronin singled out guard Sebastian Mack, Vide, Brandon Williams, Buyuktuncel and guard Will McClendon.

“They get beat every time somebody dribbles the ball,” Cronin said. “Most teams, they have to run stuff to hurt you; all you’ve got to do is drive by us.”