UCLA F/C Adem Bona officially declares for NBA draft
A day after a report surfaced about his future plans, UCLA sophomore forward/center Adem Bona confirmed Friday in a social media post that he has declared for this summer’s NBA draft.
Bona was the Pac-12 defensive player of the year and a first-team all-conference selection after averaging 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game this past season.
The post did not specify whether he intends to retain his collegiate eligibility.
“I want to start out by thanking Coach Cronin, every single member of our coaching staff, and my teammates for making this possible,” Bona wrote on Instagram. “You all made me a better basketball player and a better man, and for that I’m forever grateful. Also, a huge thank you to Bruin Nation — you’ve been by my side this entire ride. The fans, my professors, and the staff in Pauley, thank you! Thanks to the Den for showing up to Pauley and tirelessly supporting me and my teammates during every single game! These past two years have flown by. Basketball has given me such an amazing opportunity to make memories with people I will cherish forever. But this is only the beginning. I’m so excited to see where this game is going to take me next. And with that being said, I would like to announce that I will be entering my name into the 2024 NBA Draft.”
For his collegiate career, Bona averaged 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while starting 65 of 66 career games over the past two seasons. The Lagos, Nigeria native’s 115 career blocked shots ranks sixth in program history.
Bona was the first UCLA player since Dan Gadzuric in 2001 to record back-to-back seasons with at least 50 blocks.
The 2023-24 season also was one in which Bona stepped up his offensive production, becoming the focal point at times and improving his ball handling on face-ups while blowing by slower, bigger defenders. His struggles, though, centered around an inability to stay on the floor for long stretches due to constant foul trouble.
As a freshman, Bona earned Pac-12 freshman of the year and the first of back-to-back all-league defensive team selections.
“Adem has been tremendous to coach over the past two seasons,” Cronin said in a statement. “We are so thankful for his unselfish time as a Bruin. He’s a humble young man with a big heart, and he has been a fantastic teammate. Adem is going to be an unbelievable player as he continues to get reps and keeps working on his game. We believe that he’s just scratching the surface, in terms of his potential and his ability to really thrive on the court. He has worked very hard in our program and has made significant strides on both ends of the court. We love Adem and we will always be here to support him in his basketball journey.”
The news continued a facelift this offseason for the Bruins, who have lost scholarship guards Ilane Fibleuil, Jan Vide and Will McClendon to the portal and picked up transfer guard Skyy Clark (Louisville) and forward Kobe Johnson (USC).