Yet another Bruin has decided to turn pro.
UCLA men's basketball big man Adem Bona has declared for the 2023 NBA Draft, he announced Wednesday morning on Instagram. Although he did not specify in his post, both ESPN and On3 are reporting that Bona is retaining his three years of remaining college eligibility.
Bona becomes the sixth Bruin to declare for the draft this offseason, joining guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., point guard Tyger Campbell, guard Amari Bailey, guard Jaylen Clark and guard David Singleton. The only one from that group who did not have any eligibility left was Singleton, while Clark and Bona are the only ones who have any real chance at returning to school for another year.
Bona was a five-star recruit out of Prolific Prep (CA), and he chose to go to UCLA over Kentucky, Kansas, Baylor and others. The 6-foot-9 McDonald's All-American was born in Nigeria, but grew up mostly in Turkey.
It didn't take long for Bona to make an impact when he arrived in Westwood, as he joined the starting lineup from the jump and was the team's top rim protector for virtually the entire season.
Bona averaged 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 22.9 minutes per game this season, on top of ranking second in the Pac-12 with a 67.5% field goal percentage. The freshman blocked multiple shots in each of his final nine appearances, and he had six games with three blocks on the season.
At the end of the regular season, Bona was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year – UCLA's first since Lonzo Ball six years earlier. The Athletic released its 2023 NBA Draft Top 100 Big Board a few days later, and Bona came in at No. 66.
Bona was banged up down the stretch, though, and his absence played a part in the Bruins' season ending prematurely.
In the second half of the Pac-12 tournament semifinals against Oregon, Bona dove for a loose ball, hurt his shoulder and left the game. UCLA won that showdown, but fell to Arizona by two points in the championship with Bona out.
Bona returned for the second round of the NCAA tournament after also missing the Round of 64, helping the Bruins to advance to the Sweet 16. The freshman was unable to take the court against Gonzaga, though, and UCLA lost by three points as Bona watched from the bench.
According to a report from ESPN's Jonathan Givony, Bona has since undergone surgery to repair a torn labrum. Bona will not be able to work out for NBA teams, participate in the NBA Draft Combine or take part in the NBA Summer League.
Bona isn't expected to be fully recovered until October, so unless scouts, executives and advisors are completely enamored with his tape and measureables, he could very likely return to school for another year.
Without Bona, on the other hand, UCLA's already gutted rotation would be even thinner.
Kenneth Nwuba announced he would be returning for his super senior year, making him the preemptive starter over Mac Etienne. Four-star forward Devin Williams could also factor into the post rotation, but the Bruins still wouldn't have a single big man who had previously played more than 12.5 minutes per game at the college level.
UCLA is, however, rumored to be the leader for Spanish big man Aday Mara – a possible five-star recruit – although the 7-foot-3 Mara is more of a dynamic floor stretcher than the rim-running shot-blocker Bona is.
Coach Mick Cronin has almost exclusively run lineups with one big man over the course of his four seasons with the Bruins. If Bona and Mara were both to join the team for next season, that pattern could change, in part because of how many wings and guards have left the program – Jaquez, Campbell, Bailey, Clark and Singleton.
But for now, at least, Bona is not on the 2023-2024 roster either, meaning Cronin and his staff have yet another hole to fill.
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