UCLA’s string of NCAA Tournament appearances under head coach Mick Cronin will come to an end this season after the Bruins loss to Oregon in the second round of the Pac-12 Tournament. It’s been a tough year for the Bruins and Cronin who has garnered headlines this season for some of his postgame comments. But it’s his comments after the Oregon loss that are sure to catch major attention. Cronin hinted at a possible UCLA roster shakeup as per Ben Bolch of The LA Times.
“Everybody’s a free agent,” Cronin said. “It’s the way it is. We’ll deal with it all.”
What Cronin was referring to is the explosion of the transfer portal in this day and age of college basketball. It’s possible that several players on this UCLA roster could opt to enter the portal in search of more playing time or more lucrative NIL opportunities.
Currently, the Bruins only have one open scholarship roster spot. They are losing big man Kenneth Nwuba who has exhausted his NCAA eligibility. They could lose Adem Bona who is an intriguing NBA prospect. Bona declared for the NBA Draft last season but opted to withdraw his name.
The Bruins finished this season at 18-19, their first losing season under Cronin. They also finished 10-10 in Pac-12 Conference play. Prior to this season, UCLA had made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances during Mick Cronin’s first four years. It might have been four appearances but the 2019-20 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Bruins have one Final Four appearance and two Sweet 16 appearances under Cronin.
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