UCLA basketball’s Adem Bona ready to shine and lead

LOS ANGELES — Sophomore forward Adem Bona is ready to lead the UCLA men’s basketball team.

Bona, who was born in Nigeria and grew up in Turkey, spent the summer rehabbing a left shoulder injury that he suffered in the Pac-12 tournament in March. On a team, flush with international players, that reportedly speaks at least seven languages at practice, Bona is excited about cultivating cultural connections to unlock the 2023-24 team’s potential.

“I didn’t practice for a while since my injury, so I’ve missed practicing so it’s just a relief, I’ve been waiting to practice for a while,” said Bona, last season’s Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. “I’ve been wanting to get back with the team, with the new guys, get on the court with them, to be able to connect with them. It feels amazing.”

UCLA sophomore Adem Bona (Pac-12 Freshman of the Year) on his recovery from a left shoulder injury, being a team leader, playing with 7-foot-3 freshman center Aday Mara and how many different languages are being spoken at practice and in UCLA’s locker room this season. pic.twitter.com/tsoLvL41a0

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) October 27, 2023

Coach Mick Cronin, entering his fifth season in Westwood, said he believes the 6-foot-10, 245-pound big man is one of the most unheralded interior players in the nation.

“He plays every day. As far as when will I put him in the game, we’ll see,” Cronin said. “We need him this year, but he plays every day the whole practice.”

Bona, who was named to the Karl Malone Award preseason watch list as one of college basketball’s top 20 power forwards, averaged 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game as a freshman.

“That’s what I told Adem, he’s got to pound nails,” said Cronin, who wants Bona to be more of an offensive threat this season. “You come back to school doesn’t make you a first-round draft pick.

“You have to get better and you’ll be a first-round draft pick. So you have to get out there every day and pound nails.”

Bona said he is looking forward to proving Cronin right through his passionate play and his burgeoning leadership.

“I see it more of bringing the team together,” Bona said. “We’re going to have to play more as a team together this year.

“Last year, we had star power like Jaime (Jacquez Jr.) and Tyger (Campbell). This year, we have a lot of freshmen as new incomers, we also have a transfer Lazar (Stefanovic). It’s going to be more like a team play this year, so I think everyone has bought into the idea. And with that being said, I think everyone buying in and everyone knowing what they want to do and knowing what the goal is, is going to make things easier. So I think it’s going to be more of a team effort and working together and getting towards the goal.”

Bona said he learned a lot from Jacquez Jr., Campbell and David Singleton during his freshman season. He wants to impart those lessons to the team’s seven freshmen: 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara (Spain), 6-foot-9 forward Berke Buyuktuncel (Turkey), 6-foot-6 guard Jan Vide (Slovenia), 6-foot-6 guard Ilane Fibleuil (France), 6-foot-10 forward Devin Williams from Corona Centennial, 6-foot-7 guard/forward Brandon Williams from Queens, New York, and 6-foot-3 guard Sebastian Mack from Las Vegas.

Bona is expected to be frequently paired with Mara, who was named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar preseason watch list as one of college basketball’s top 20 centers, which is something the Bruins worked on during the early portion of Friday’s practice at the Mo Ostin Center.

“Aday is a one of a kind,” Bona shared. “He’s a funny kid first of all. He’s unique. He’s super skilled. He loves the fancy passes. He’s a go-getter. He always wants to win. Tough guy. Physically, he’s getting there but he’s a really skilled player.”

Mara is reportedly ready to bring back an old, familiar weapon back to Pauley Pavilion – the hook shot made famous by Bruins great Lew Alcindor, who took it to new heights in the NBA as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – which has Bona practicing his own version of the seemingly unblockable shot.

“Aday’s got me in the lab,” Bona said with a smile on his face. “We’re working on the Kareem sky hook.”

Looking back to when he was an incoming freshman a year ago, Bona didn’t realize that, along with Kenneth Nwuba, Lazar Stefanovic, and Dylan Andrews, he would be one of the team’s leaders as a sophomore.

“I didn’t think being a team leader was going to be there right away because we had experienced guys,” Bona said. “I love contributing to bringing the team together and this year I think it kind of fell on me because we don’t have a lot of guys that are experienced on the team.

“We have a lot of incoming guys, new to the program, new to college basketball, so I embrace the role. I would love to take on the role of leadership. I talked with some guys that were here before me like David (Singleton). I think he’s a good role model to pick his brain, so I’ve talked with David a couple of times about how to go about stuff and I think he’s giving me great advice on how to handle stuff like that.”

UCLA finished 31-6 overall last season, which ended with a Sweet 16 appearance. Expectations are understandably tampered.

“We’re not a ready-made product,” Cronin said. “Like last year, we could come in this thing and say look this isn’t real hard, we’re going to get Jaime the ball, we’re going to put Tyger in pick and roll.

“It’s a little bit different this year. We’re going to have to make adjustments, but I’m not concerned about playing time. On game night, they pay me to win games and kids need to understand that, young people go through stuff with recruiting, it’s never personal. My job is to develop our players, except at game time … make me play you. It’s your job to get playing time, not mine. They pay me to win, so if you’re a winner, I’m going to play you.”

The Bruins host Cal State Dominguez Hills in an exhibition game Tuesday. UCLA’s season opener is against Saint Francis of Pennsylvania on Nov. 6 at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins will begin Pac-12 play Dec. 28 at Oregon State.

“We’re only going to get better if we get better,” Cronin said when asked about working eight newcomers into the program. “It could take you one game, or two, you have to try to get better immediately … it could take 20 games. But to me, you have to work day by day.”

UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin on putting his 8 newcomers, including 7 freshman in positions to be successful and why he’s jealous of UCLA football coach Chip Kelly. #TaylorSwift @CoachMickCronin @UCLAMBB @ladailynews @InsideSoCalSpts pic.twitter.com/CPdocAurKG

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) October 27, 2023