UCLA’s Adem Bona declares for NBA draft, won’t hire agent

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
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LOS ANGELES — Adem Bona became  the fifth UCLA player to declare for the NBA draft, although the Pac-12 freshman of the year could still return to Westwood.

The forward-center from Nigeria announced his plans on his Instagram account. Bona averaged 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while starting 32 of 33 games last season.

“Ever since I picked up a basketball, it has always been my dream to show that I could play at the highest level,” Bona wrote. “With that being said, I have decided to declare for the 2023 NBA Draft.”

However, coach Mick Cronin said in a statement that Bona will retain his eligibility, which means he won’t be hiring an agent.

“We will support Adem through this process with the NBA,” Cronin said in a statement. “He’s still in school and he will retain his eligibility. He is rehabbing daily from his shoulder injury. We will support him and Jaylen Clark as they navigate through this process.”

Bona joins freshman Amari Bailey, seniors Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Clark in declaring for the draft. Clark, a junior, could retain his remaining eligibility if he doesn’t hire an agent ahead of the June 22 draft.

The 6-foot-10 Bona finished second in the Pac-12 in overall field-goal percentage (67%) and was fourth in blocks per game (1.7). He was named to the All-Pac-12 freshman team and the league’s All-Defensive team.

Amari Bailey leaving UCLA after 1 season to enter NBA draft

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
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LOS ANGELES – Amari Bailey joined the exodus of UCLA players to the NBA draft.

He announced his plans on his Instagram account.

The freshman guard from Chicago started 28 of 30 games in his lone season in Westwood. He averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists and was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. He also made the All-Pac-12 Tournament team.

“Since I was 3 years old, basketball has been my first and only love,” Bailey wrote. “I have decided to bet on myself and turn my dreams into reality and enter the 2023 NBA Draft.”

Bailey scored 19 points and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final 20 seconds of UCLA’s 79-76 loss to Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 last month.

“Amari improved immensely this season as a basketball player,” coach Mick Cronin said in a statement. “One area in which Amari most improved was becoming an elite defensive player. His on-the-ball pressure became a huge weapon for our team.”

Bailey joins teammates Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Jaylen Clark in declaring for the draft. Campbell and Jaquez are seniors.

Clark, a junior, did not indicate whether he would hire an agent ahead of the June 22 draft or retain his remaining eligibility.

UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. declares for NBA draft

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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LOS ANGELES – UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. has declared for the NBA draft, with the senior deciding to forgo an extra year of eligibility available because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jaquez announced his decision Thursday on his social media accounts.

“I have fulfilled my dream of playing basketball for and graduating from UCLA,” he posted. “To all of UCLA’s fans, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your life for four years. Please know, I gave you everything that I had. My four years at UCLA have been incredible, and I’ll always be proud to be a Bruin. But I’m also excited about my future, my NBA dreams and my continued basketball growth.”

Jaquez averaged 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in 37 games while helping the Bruins to a 31-6 record this season. They lost to Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament after winning the school’s first Pac-12 regular-season title since 2013.

The guard-forward from nearby Camarillo was a consensus second-team All-America selection in his fourth year in Westwood. He finished eighth on UCLA’s all-time scoring list with 1,802 points and 11th in career rebounds at 842. He ranks eighth in career steals with 178 and ninth on all-time games played at 134.

“We built our program around his competitive spirit and toughness, starting four years ago,” coach Mick Cronin said in a statement. “His dedication, his loyalty and his tenacity are unmatched, and I can’t wait to see him play in the NBA.”

Last week, junior guard Jaylen Clark announced he would enter the draft. However, he did not indicate whether he would hire an agent ahead of the June 22 draft or retain his remaining eligibility. He has until May 31 to withdraw and be able to return to Westwood.

UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. declares for NBA draft

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
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LOS ANGELES – UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. has declared for the NBA draft, with the senior deciding to forgo an extra year of eligibility available because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jaquez announced his decision Thursday on his social media accounts.

“I have fulfilled my dream of playing basketball for and graduating from UCLA,” he posted. “To all of UCLA’s fans, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your life for four years. Please know, I gave you everything that I had. My four years at UCLA have been incredible, and I’ll always be proud to be a Bruin. But I’m also excited about my future, my NBA dreams and my continued basketball growth.”

Jaquez averaged 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in 37 games while helping the Bruins to a 31-6 record this season. They lost to Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament after winning the school’s first Pac-12 regular-season title since 2013.

The guard-forward from nearby Camarillo was a consensus second-team All-America selection in his fourth year in Westwood. He finished eighth on UCLA’s all-time scoring list with 1,802 points and 11th in career rebounds at 842. He ranks eighth in career steals with 178 and ninth on all-time games played at 134.

“We built our program around his competitive spirit and toughness, starting four years ago,” coach Mick Cronin said in a statement. “His dedication, his loyalty and his tenacity are unmatched, and I can’t wait to see him play in the NBA.”

Last week, junior guard Jaylen Clark announced he would enter the draft. However, he did not indicate whether he would hire an agent ahead of the June 22 draft or retain his remaining eligibility. He has until May 31 to withdraw and be able to return to Westwood.

UCLA guard Jaylen Clark declares for NBA draft

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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LOS ANGELES – UCLA guard Jaylen Clark declared for the NBA draft, weeks after a leg injury forced him out of the season’s final six games.

The junior from Riverside, California, announced his plans on his Instagram account.

“Thank you to UCLA and coach (Mick) Cronin for believing in me,” Clark’s post read. “I’d like to announce that I am declaring for the 2023 draft.”

Clark didn’t indicate whether he would hire an agent ahead of the June 22 draft or retain his remaining eligibility. He has until May 31 to withdraw and be able to return to Westwood.

He suffered a lower right leg injury in the regular-season finale against Arizona on March 4. Clark averaged 13 points and six rebounds while starting 29 of 30 games. He led the Pac-12 in total steals with 78, tying for third all-time in single-season steals for the Bruins.

He was a second team All-Pac-12 selection, was named the league’s defensive player of the year and made its five-man All-Defensive Team.

UCLA beats Northwestern 68-63 to advance to Sweet 16

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The best news for UCLA came after the Bruins finished off their second-round win over Northwestern.

Key guard David Singleton didn’t break his ankle when he went down with an injury late in UCLA’s 69-63 victory over Northwestern on Saturday night, giving the Bruins hope that he might be able to return when they play in the Sweet 16 next week.

“I knew it wasn’t that bad,” said Singleton, who was on the court in pain for a few minutes before being helped to the locker room. “I broke my foot before. I didn’t feel it pop or anything. It was just hurting at the moment. I’m fine. I’m just going to get with my trainer.”

Coach Mick Cronin said the injury conjured up bad memories from two decades ago when he was an assistant at Cincinnati and star Kenyon Martin broke his leg right before the tournament.

Now he hopes to get Singleton back to a thin lineup already missing injured defensive stopper Jaylen Clark.

“I was having flashbacks to when I had a full head of hair in the spring of 2000 running out there and Kenyon Martin was playing there,” Cronin said. “Looks like he’s got a bad sprain. … I’m just happy he didn’t break his ankle. It’s been crazy for us here lately.”

Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 24 points and UCLA withstood a second-half push from Northwestern to get back to the Sweet 16.

The second-seeded Bruins (31-5) turned up the defensive intensity late, holding the seventh-seeded Wildcats to 1-for-12 shooting during a key late-game stretch to seal the win.

“We started getting up, switching up into them, bringing up the pressure again like in the first half,” Jaquez said. “I think we shied away from it (early) in the second half with just light switching. I think we picked it up a lot more.”

UCLA made it to a third straight Sweet 16 for the first time in 15 years. The Bruins will play the winner of Sunday’s game between Gonzaga and TCU in the West Region semifinals in Las Vegas, on Thursday night.

Amari Bailey added 14 points and Tyger Campbell scored 12 for UCLA.

Boo Buie scored 18 points to lead Northwestern (22-12), Matthew Nicholson added 17 and Chase Audige scored all 16 of his points in the second half.

“I wasn’t surprised the way we played in the second half because that’s what these guys have been, that’s what our team has been all year long,” coach Chris Collins said. “We have a fighter’s spirit. … I could not have been prouder of my guys.”

The Wildcats ended their second trip to the tournament in the same fashion as the first six years ago, losing in the second round.

They put up a good fight against the more tournament-tested Bruins and had a chance until going cold from the field late in the game.

The key moment came in the final two minutes when Adem Bona blocked a drive by Audige, sending UCLA out in transition. David Singleton hit the 3-pointer that put the Bruins up 62-56 with 1:50 to play.

UCLA controlled the game early and built the big lead by neutralizing Northwestern’s high-scoring backcourt of Buie and Audige and getting Jaquez out in transition.

Buie finally made his first basket of the game with a drive just before the buzzer to cut UCLA’s lead to 35-25 at the break.

Audige got going in the second half with 14 points in the first eight minutes. The Wildcats tied it at 45 when Buie was credited with a basket on a goaltending call midway through the half.

But they couldn’t close the deal.

“This is what we wanted, an eight-minute fight,” Collins said. “Give UCLA credit. Every time we made a run, they made big plays.”

BIG PICTURE

Northwestern: The Wildcats followed up their first tournament appearance with losing records the next five seasons. Collins got them back into second place in the Big Ten in the regular season and now looks to build from there.

UCLA: Bona returned after missing the last two games with a left shoulder injury. He aggravated the injury on a dunk in the second half and went to the bench immediately but did return to the game and had the key block late. His presence will be key next weekend.

UP NEXT

UCLA is two wins shy of its 20th Final Four appearance.