As UCLA seeks resurgence via transfer portal, Aday Mara’s Bruins future is murky
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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mick Cronin wasn’t going to go there, at least not at first.
A reporter who inquired about the UCLA coach’s plans for next season was headed off like one of his guards trying to get the ball past Tennessee’s press.
“Right now, guys, it’s 12:40 a.m. and our season just ended,” Cronin said early Sunday inside Rupp Arena after a 67-58 loss to the Volunteers in the second round of the NCAA tournament. “That’s it. You’re going to ask me about next year. Right now my biggest concern is how bad the seats are on the Allegiant flight, on that terrible plane that we’re going on to fly home.”
Only moments later, after another reporter asked about the importance of continuity given his success with multi-year players, Cronin gave a clear indication of his intentions with his roster.
“If you’re giving me a choice,” Cronin said, “I’ll always take talent.”
Translation: Expect the Bruins to be extremely active once the transfer portal opens Monday.
UCLA struggled to find its shot against a tenacious Tennessee defense and faded in the second half of a 67-58 loss in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Priority No. 1 will be keeping center Aday Mara, an emerging star who was noncommittal about his future after the game other than saying he intended to rest and go visit family in his native Spain.
The Bruins could also use a big-time upgrade at point guard and one veteran wing player, if not two, to offset the departures of seniors Kobe Johnson and Lazar Stefanovic. Another 7-footer could come in handy, even if Mara returns, to help the team counter some of the massive front lines in the Big Ten.
Regardless of the positional breakdown, it’s obvious given the discrepancy on display between the Bruins and Volunteers that there needs to be an infusion of high-end players. This team needs more talent. Consider that forward Tyler Bilodeau was the only Bruin to earn All-Big Ten honors, and he was relegated to the third team.
Cronin conceded that his team’s lack of name, image and likeness resources before last season forced him to scrounge from a bargain bin of European prospects, leading to what he called “a debacle” as the Bruins finished with a losing record.
A new pile of NIL cash helped Cronin land six transfers last spring, but any honest accounting of the situation would have shown that UCLA was always building for next season.
A second consecutive roster overhaul by a coach whose system thrives on continuity was likely to end the way it did. The Bruins (23-11) had some shining moments to go with the expected bumps and got bounced early in the NCAA tournament.
Now it’s time to turn their downcast eyes toward the expected payoff.
If Cronin can keep the core of his roster together and sprinkle in a few difference-makers, the Bruins should get back to being true contenders for a national championship. He’ll have 15 scholarships to work with thanks to the NCAA’s new roster limit starting next season.
Two will almost certainly be used on guard Skyy Clark and forward Eric Dailey Jr., who both told The Times they wanted to return.
“Yeah, for sure,” Dailey said. “I want to come here and make a run, make a name with these guys. That’s my goal.”
But some tough decisions will need to be made. Does Dylan Andrews, whose season-long struggles were one of the team’s biggest limiting factors, return in a lesser role if Cronin brings in a new starting point guard? Is Trent Perry willing to come off the bench again? Will there be any playing time available for guard Eric Freeny and forwards Brandon Williams and Devin Williams (no relation) after they redshirted?
A year ago, guard Jan Vide said he wanted to return only for Cronin to bring in all those transfers, leading Vide to make his own move to Loyola Marymount. It’s nearly certain that a couple of players currently on the roster with remaining eligibility will depart, likely including seldom-used guard Dominick Harris.
Bringing Mara back could require more than a pile of NIL cash as high as La Sagrada Familia. Cronin will need to find a way to either start Mara alongside Dailey and Bilodeau or make one of those forwards come off the bench. Mara’s tantalizing upside as one of the best players in college basketball next season can’t be wasted by a coach who was often the only one capable of stopping his 7-footer over the last few months with limited usage.
The talented Bruins team lost focus during losses near the end of the regular season, but practiced what they preached to earn a No. 1 seed and first-round win.
In an encouraging sign, Mara seemed to genuinely enjoy being on this team. He walked off the court late Saturday clapping his hands over his head while looking at the Bruins cheering section as a thank-you gesture to fans. They can only hope they get to return the favor next season.
UCLA appears to have struck out with high school prospects in a loaded 2025 class, though they probably weren’t going to be the immediate needle-movers the team needed anyway. Cronin has indicated he wants his rosters full of veterans, meaning he will prioritize the transfer portal over freshmen for the foreseeable future.
What’s it like going into an offseason when the coach has to re-recruit his own players and the players don’t have any idea which teammates are coming back?
“That’s the coaches’ job, to see who they want for the players and that’s really it,” Dailey said. “I can’t tell you who or what or when, but I can tell you whoever it is, they’re going to come in and represent these jerseys well.”
