UCLA Basketball: Bruins Considered Nation's Best in Key Aspect

Is this a fair assessment?

Dec 20, 2011; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of seat cushions at the Sports Arena with the words: UCLA Basketball 2011-2013 Road Show before the game against the UC Irvine Anteaters. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Things are looking up for the UCLA Bruins.

After finishing 16-17 in 2023-24 and missing the NCAA Tournament entirely, Mick Cronin's squad has been totally revamped this offseason, as the program's longtime head coach has pivoted to a national focus and the NCAA transfer portal.

Now, UCLA has earned some major recognition for its long history of success in one key aspect.

According to Fox Sports' John Fanta, the Bruins are considered the best team for developing young talent, across the entire college basketball landscape, beating out notable clubs like Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Gonzaga.

What do you guys think?? pic.twitter.com/MUAj9EZXex

— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) June 25, 2024

It's unclear what the length of this developmental timeline entails. Since Cronin took over in 2019, five of his former players have been drafted: guard Peyton Watson (the No. 30 pick in 2022), All-American small forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (the No. 18 pick in 2023), Pac-12 All-Freshman Team shooting guard Amari Bailey (the No. 41 pick in 2023), two-time Pac-12 All-Defensive Team shooting guard Jaylen Clark (the No. 53 selection in 2023), and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year center Adem Bona (the No. 41 pick in 2024).

That's far from the top-flight talent coming from some of the programs just below UCLA on this list. But obviously over the course of the program, this rating is completely accurate. The Bruins boast several active alums who have reached All-Star heights in the league, including guards Zach LaVine and Jrue Holiday, the latter of whom is a two-time champion. Two ex-UCLA 2008 draftees, point guard Russell Westbrook and power forward/center Kevin Love, are future Hall of Famers. In its history, the team has produced such all-time Hall of Fame luminaries as Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Bill Walton and Jamaal Wilkes.

Although Cronin's run hasn't yielded any All-Stars just yet (Jaquez could get there, perhaps, after a surprise All-Rookie First Team season in a loaded class), he's still got time to change that.

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