ROSEMONT IL – Flashback to the 2023 offseason, and the UCLA Bruins were loaded up with incoming freshmen. Mick Cronin was rebuilding on the fly after losing the core group that had secured a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and had advanced to the Sweet 16. But the 2024-25 roster is going to be much more experienced, highlighted by Dylan Andrews and Kobe Johnson.
UCLA will have quite a bit of new faces on the court; nine of the 17 players on the roster are new this season. Even though there are only two incoming freshman on the team, the same sort of challenges await in terms of building team chemistry.
And with the transfer portal bigger than ever, it’s changed the way college coaches construct their teams. For Mick Cronin, the timeframe to build and mold a team has shrunk significantly. He realizes that he doesn’t have much time to get this group to gel and develop chemistry.
“This is going to be every year. Your offseason becomes so important just from a chemistry standpoint. Once you get everybody on campus, you got to spend time together away from the court,” Cronin told assembled media at Big 10 media day. “You got to try to catch up. You don’t have two, three years to build a team. You got a summer to build a team. . .you’ve got to figure out the basketball side, style of play, offenses, defenses, different rotations, all the things that give you a chance.”
With the first AP men’s basketball poll being released this week, the UCLA Bruins came in at No. 22. Even with so many new faces, this is a talented team capable of making a run in the Big 10. And to do so, they’re going to need the leadership from Dylan Andrews and Kobe Johnson.
Dylan Andrews growing as UCLA’s leader
Coming into the 2024-25 season, Dylan Andrews is the longest tenured player on the Bruins’ roster. He was a freshman during UCLA’s 2023 Sweet 16 run and did not play much. Last season, he stepped into a starting role and despite the Bruins’ tough season, he emerged as a legitimate college guard.
Andrews started all 32 games he played in at a little over 35 minutes per game. He averaged 12.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 32.4 percent from the three-point line. Although his overall shooting percentage wasn’t very high (39.5 percent), Andrews looked very capable of handling lead guard duties.
And with an overall more experienced roster filled with impact transfers, Andrews definitely sees a bit of a difference from the 2023 offseason to now.
“Last year we were young, we were inexperienced, versus this year we have a bunch of guys, incoming transfers that played more than one or two years of college basketball,” Andrews told ClutchPoints during Big 10 media day. “Experience is everything when you’re playing in college. Last year we had guys who were just really young. . .and a bunch of guys coming from overseas, and it’s hard to translate the overseas game to the American basketball in one year.”
While Dylan Andrews is definitely going to be a player to watch on the court, it’s his off the court leadership that he’s looking to improve upon. By nature, a point guard is an extension of the head coach on the court.
But Andrews is hoping to be a little more outspoken in the locker room. As the longest tenured player on the team, he’s taking upon himself to help all the newcomers get acclimated to the team.
“I would say more so just being a vocal leader. I feel like in the past I’ve played by just showing action, and this year, going into my third year, I feel like I know the role, I know what Coach Cronin wants,” Andrews said. “We have a lot of new players, a lot of transfers, freshman, I’m just trying to get them on the right page, on the right track. Just showing them what I’ve learned so far in my years at UCLA playing for Coach Cronin.”
Kobe Johnson bring lockdown defense to UCLA
Joining Andrews in the backcourt is likely to be transfer guard Kobe Johnson. Johnson comes from across town having played his first three years of college basketball at rival USC. When he hit the transfer portal following the 2023-24 season, he was one of the most sought after players, and for good reason.
An impact guy at USC, Johnson became a regular starter by his sophomore year. Last season as a junior, he had a breakout statistical season despite the Trojans disappointing season. The Bruins were definitely familiar with him having played against him the past three years, and it was Cronin who was the first to reach out when he hit the transfer portal.
“Mick was the first one that contacted me and really wanted me. When I saw that, that just showed me how much he wanted me and how much he wanted be to be involved with their program and what they’re building at UCLA,” Johnson told ClutchPoints at Big 10 media day. “I’ve gone against him the past three years, I know what he’s like, I know what he brings to the table so I knew what I was getting myself into and I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.”
As a junior, Kobe Johnson averaged 10.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.2 steals while shooting 40.4 percent from the field, 31.3 percent from three-point range and 72.6 percent from the free-throw line.
While the Bruins are certainly going to look to Johnson for offense, what sets him apart from the other players on the roster is his defense. He’s coming off consecutive Pac-12 All-Defensive Team selections. He’s quick, he’s long and he automatically becomes one of the best defenders in the Big 10.
Johnson knows that his role is going to consist of chasing down the opposing team’s top wing scorer each night. It’s a role he’s looking forward to.
“My defense is a lot of film study. I like to watch the opposing team before we play them, which I hope everybody should,” Johnson said. “But I think I watch a little bit extra, especially if they got a big-time player on their team or whatnot. I like doing my research, I like just trying to disrupt their offense.
The UCLA Bruins open the 2024-25 season on Nov. 4 against Rider.
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