UCLA basketball star Adem Bona is racking up the individual awards as the team enters the Pac-12 Conference Tournament and fights for their life in March Madness.
On Tuesday, the Bruin’s 6-foot-10 sophomore was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Pac-12 Conference, according to a press release from the school. Bona is UCLA basketball’s third Defensive Player of the Year, He joins Russell Westbrook, who won the award in 2008, and Jaylen Clark, who took home the honor last season.
In his second year with the team, the Nigerian-Turkish big man is averaging 12.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game.
While these individual numbers have been excellent, it doesn’t seem like it will be enough to get the Bruins in the Big Dance this season.
Adem Bona and UCLA basketball may not get into March Madness
The UCLA basketball program kicks off the Pac-12 Conference Tournament on Wednesday. The Bruins come in at 15-16 and are the No. 5 seed in the tournament. They will face the No. 12-seed Oregon State at 5:30 pm ET/2:30 pm PT at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The winner will move on to face the No. 4 seed, Oregon.
Adem Bona and the Bruins were trending toward making the NCAA Tournament at 14-10 in mid-February, but the team lost five of its last six games to drop below .500 on the season. Now, they are no longer considered on the bubble for March Madness.
If head coach Mick Cronin and company miss the tourney this season, it will be the first time Cronin misses March Madness in his last 12 seasons of coaching. He’s been to The Dance the last three straight campaigns with UCLA and in his final six seasons coaching Cincinnati.
Despite the dire outlook, UCLA has a chance to make the tournament by winning the Pac-12 Conference Tournament.
However, that won’t be easy. If the Bruins can get past the two Oregon schools, their path to March Madness will likely include No.1 seed (and No. 5 nationally) Arizona and No. 2 seed (and No. 12 nationally) Washington State.
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