After not having his full roster available in August for an international trip to Spain, the wait may take a bit longer for UCLA men’s basketball head coach Mick Cronin and those planning to see the new-look Bruins at the end of the month.
Before Friday’s practice, Cronin would not identify the two players but said “there’s two ongoing situations.”
“I don’t comment on that stuff,” Cronin said. “I know other people lobby on that type of stuff, we’re working through it and I anticipate everybody being ready.”
Ready for the Nov. 6 regular-season opener against Saint Francis?
“We don’t dictate timelines unfortunately, but I would hope so,” Cronin said.
Meanwhile, the Bruins are four days away from suiting up for a Halloween night exhibition against Cal State Dominguez Hills. It’s unclear whether the slow-moving, often unpredictable NCAA compliance office will complete its review by Oct. 31.
Both 7-3 Spanish center Aday Mara and 6-9 Turkish forward Berke Buyuktuncel fit the profile and neither reportedly played in a “secret scrimmage” loss to Santa Clara last weekend. Both arrived in Westwood after UCLA’s overseas trip.
ESPN ranked Mara and Buyuktuncel 1-2 on its list of the 10 best international incoming freshmen to watch this season.
Mara practiced with the team Friday while Buyuktuncel, in full uniform, watched from a chair on the sideline at the Mo Ostin Basketball Center.
Now practicing full-go is sophomore forward/center Adem Bona, last season’s Pac-12 freshman of the year.
Bona was previously limited to individual drills while working his way back from a shoulder injury suffered during the Pac-12 tournament that forced him to miss two of UCLA’s three NCAA tournament games, including a loss to Gonzaga in the Sweet 16.
Still, Cronin said he’s being cautious about making Bona available for next Tuesday’s exhibition contest.
“He looks good,” Cronin said. “I mean, yeah, he plays every day. As far as when I put him in a game, we’ll see.”
When asked if a roster that features eight newcomers, including seven freshmen, will all see minutes, Cronin gave a not-so-confident “I hope.”
“I do not expect everybody to play,” Cronin said.
If it were up to Bona, though, he said he’s prepared for the moment he’s given the go-ahead.
“I feel like I’m always ready,” Bona said. “But that’s going to be a question for coach.”
Media sessions
Watch the full media sessions with Cronin and Bona below:
