Pinpointing his team’s primary defensive weakness, Mick Cronin ticked off half his playing rotation.
“Sebastian, Jan, Berke, Brandon and Will, they get beat every time somebody dribbles the ball,” the UCLA coach said after a recent loss to Arizona, referring to Sebastian Mack, Jan Vide, Berke Buyuktuncel and Will McClendon. “Most teams, they have to run stuff to hurt you; all you’ve got to do is drive by us.”
Fortunately for the Bruins, they usually have Adem Bona waiting at the rim.
One of the nation’s top shot-blockers, Bona on Tuesday was selected the Pac-12 Conference’s defensive player of the year.