UCLA Basketball: Bruins Looking to Fix Shooting Woes From a Season Ago

The Bruins were inconsistent on offense a season ago.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

UCLA men's basketball held their first fall practice on Wednesday, just over a month out from their 2024-25 season opener against Rider. The Bruins are seeking a much more successful year than they had last season when they failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since Mick Cronin took over as head coach.

The primary area the Bruins struggled in was shooting. UCLA averaged just 66 points per game as a team, tied for 336th in college basketball. They shot 41.9 percent from the field, which ranked 311th in the nation, and 33.2 percent from the three-point, tied for 227th in college basketball.

"I would say an issue last year was getting the ball in the basket from anywhere," Cronin told reporters Wednesday. "If you go to our last game, we missed seven two-footers against Oregon in the Pac-12 Tournament ... we have obviously a whole new team this year. Skyy, Dom, Trent, Kobe, they can all shoot."

Cronin went and revamped the team's roster through the transfer portal, adding in players he feels confidently can shoot. South Dakota State transfer William Kyle III shot 62.3 percent from the field last year, ranking 12th in the NCAA. Oregon State transfer Tyler Bilodeau shot 53.3 percent, and Oklahoma State transfer Eric Dailey Jr. shot 49.6 percent from the field.

Cronin also feels more confident about this team and the shooting because of the experience his players now have. Returning starters Sebastian Mack, Dylan Andrews, and Lazar Stefanovic have another year another their belt, and each of the transfers brings in experience to the team.

This Bruins team is no longer just the young team they were a season ago, which Cronin says has allowed him to sleep better.

"I just know how much it matters ... when you have a veteran player the odds of him being consistent, so you can count on him every night," Cronin said. "Young guys are inconsistent, even talented ones. Just tell me how many young ones impacted the NBA playoffs. It's going to take you a while to answer that."

This year's Bruins squad features seven upperclassmen, and simply a lot more depth on the team, which is expected to lead to a rebound season.

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