UCLA Basketball: Elite Prep Prospect In Frequent Contact With Bruins
Your 2023-24 UCLA Bruins are far more raw than many pundits had perhaps anticipated, yours truly included. That is due in part, at least, to the Blue and Gold fielding a relative youth movement this year.
UCLA added seven true freshmen, plus one transfer starter in Lazar Stefanovic, while losing several big-minutes 2022-23 contributors to graduation.
At 8-11, the club’s March Madness chances are looking a bit slim, but UCLA does seem to have some appetizing prospects among this fresh crop, who hopefully will blossom in the years to come. 7'3" Spanish center Aday Mara, an expected preseason lottery pick, has yet to adjust to the physicality of the college game, and his offense hasn't been quite good enough to earn him major run. The Bruins' other anticipated one-and-done freshman, 6'9" Turkish forward Berke Buyuktuncel, has yet to make a huge impression either, though he is starting in the frontcourt next to 2023 All-Pac-12 big man Adem Bona.
It appears UCLA could be getting a critical reinforcement soon... well, in 2025, anyway.
6'4" guard Brayden Burries, a high school junior ranked among the 25 brightest basketball prospect in the class of 2025, has informed Joe Tipton of On3 that UCLA is one of the programs with which he has remained in consistent contact. Along with the Bruins, he's paid unofficial visits to the loathed USC Trojans, plus the Arizona Wildcats, Houston Cougars, and the post-Coach K Duke Blue Devils.
