Coach Mark Gottfried sits down with Mick Cronin, Head Coach of the Men’s Basketball program at UCLA. Both coaches talk about the grind of coaching, the undeniable sacrifices you have to make in order to be great, and the change in college basketball’s landscape.
1:41 – Childhood influenced by father’s coaching and scouting.
3:54 – Gaining coaching experience at the high school level.
6:24 – Learning opportunities in coaching basketball at Murray State.
12:02 – Challenges of building a sustainable NCAA program amidst the NIL and transfer portal.
18:18 – Concerns about uncertainty in student-athlete pay in college sports.
22:14 – Embrace challenges, avoid complaints, and seek solutions.
23:18 – Mick is admired for his honesty and integrity with players.
29:38 – Upholding honesty and dedication in parenting and coaching.
32:09 – Coaches’ expectations and recruiting tactics analyzed critically.
35:42 – Influential coaching experiences and learning from mentors.
Join us in welcoming the three newest Bruins to the UCLA men’s basketball roster. UCLA has officially added incoming transfers Skyy Clark, Eric Dailey Jr. and Kobe Johnson for the 2024-25 season.
Clark (6-foot-3, guard) will enter as a junior next season, having spent the 2023-24 season at Louisville. Dailey Jr. (6-foot-8, forward) will be a sophomore with the Bruins next year, after finishing his freshman season in 2023-24 at Oklahoma State. Johnson (6-foot-6, guard) spent the past three seasons at USC and will enter as a senior with the Bruins in 2024-25.
"We are excited to be adding Skyy, Eric and Kobe to our program," The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach Mick Cronin said. "We are familiar with all three of these young men, and they are going to be important players for our team. Our staff had recruited Skyy when he was in high school, and we know he's a dynamic guard who can score and distribute the ball. Eric is a big guard, built in the Jaime Jaquez Jr. mold. He can rebound like a big, but he is a young man with guard skills in a big, strong body. Kobe has made really strong strides in each of his three years in college, showing that he can be an impact player. He is a smart and tenacious athlete, especially on the defensive end, but he also provides versatility as a scorer and distributor. We will lean on the experience of all three players, and we are looking forward to getting them on campus."
Duke, Kentucky, UCLA, Kansas, Baylor, and the pros (G League Ignite and the NBL Next Stars program in Australia) are potential destinations for 2024-25. Predictions leaning towards Duke to join No. 1 recruit Cooper Flagg.
Top prospect Khaman Maluach to be eligible for 2025 draft
Jonathan Givony, ESPNDec 17, 2023, 04:49 PM ET
Khaman Maluach, one of the top young basketball prospects in the world, has elected to graduate high school next summer, making him eligible for the NBA draft in 2025.
"I think I am ready to play at that level," Maluach told ESPN. "I've played against some of the top [prospects] in 2024 and 2025, and against pros in the FIBA World Cup. Playing against guys who are stronger and more experienced helped me realize where I stand and what I need to work on."
The 17-year-old, 7-foot-2 center from South Sudan has been developing at the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal since 2021. He was named MVP of the NBA's Basketball Without Borders Africa camp in August, then earned a spot on the South Sudan senior national team, becoming the third-youngest player in FIBA World Cup history.
Previously slated to graduate high school in 2025, Maluach is being recruited by the likes of Duke, Kentucky, UCLA, Kansas and Baylor, and now has the option to join a college program a year early should he choose. He is also receiving interest from professional options such as G League Ignite and the NBL Next Stars program in Australia; or, he could elect to conduct a postgraduate year with the NBA Academy Africa and become the first player ever to be drafted directly from Africa.
"I want to go somewhere where they put my development first," Maluach said. "Get me ready for the next step, but also winning too. I would like to go somewhere where I can win a championship."
Maluach boasts a 7-foot-6 wingspan with outstanding mobility, giving him the defensive versatility to guard smaller players on the perimeter and be a significant deterrent as a rim protector. He has range on his jump shot and tremendous finishing prowess. Maluach averaged 21 points, 15.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks shooting 40% from 3 in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) qualifiers last month with the NBA Academy Africa.
Maluach will be watched closely by NBA executives from all 30 teams this week at the G League Winter Showcase in Orlando, Florida, where he will play two games versus the NBA Global and Latin America academies as part of the 2023 NBA Academy Winter Tour. This will be Maluach's third time participating in the event, giving him significant experience to fall back on despite having just turned 17 several months ago.
"The NBA Academy is like family," he said. "The teammates and coaches have created a bond which will last forever. I want to go a place like that. On our team I bring leadership and energy on defense. I'm a rim protector who gets everyone involved. I communicate, keep our team together. For me to reach my full potential, I need to work on my handle, my shot, everything.
Tracy Pierson posted an article on Maluach on Feb 6 but it's behind a paywall so I cannot access it. You guys can look it up if you have a BRO subscription.
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Locked On UCLA's Zach Anderson-Yoxsimer also talked about Maluach on a recent podcast episode trying to get Alfred Aboya to hook UCLA up with Maluach:
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What do you guys think, can we land Khaman Maluach?
