Adem Bona satisfied with progress avoiding foul trouble

Adem Bona has improved consistently over the 2022-2023 season for UCLA, and he’s starting to recognize his progress.

Earlier this season, Bona saw himself get into foul trouble time and time again. More recently, that hasn’t been as prevalent, allowing Mick Cronin to keep one of his favorite players in the game for more minutes. Speaking with the media earlier this week, Bona stated his satisfaction with being able to avoid foul trouble, and when he began to notice his massive improvement.

“I would say I’ve definitely felt it,” Bona responded, asked if he’s feeling like progress has been made. “I would say like halftime of the Washington State game, when I realized I had no fouls. ‘Wow, that’s good!’ So I kind of felt it. It gives me more playing time. Coach more confidence in keeping me in the game. So I feel like that’s some good progress.”

On the season, Bona is averaging 8.2 points and 5.1 rebounds over 23.7 minutes per game. Those are numbers Cronin wants on the floor, not chained to the bench due to foul trouble.

Improvements have been made, and Adem Bona is making a case for his importance to the Bruins. He’s hitting his stride at the right time.

Mick Cronin explains his favorite thing about Adem Bona

Moreover, UCLA coach Mick Cronin took some time earlier to reveal his favorite thing about Adem Bona, his 6-foot-10 freshman forward who is doing a ton of cleanup work on the boards this season.

Apparently, Bona is a coach’s dream.

“Adem is somebody that just, he lifts everybody in the room,” Cronin said. “When he walks in the room, he lights the room up. Any team he gets on, everybody’s going to play a little harder because they’re on the team with him.

“You always want a guy that’s going to stay positive and try to pick his teammates up at all times. He’s just a great, great guy. Great guy.”

But what’s Mick Cronin’s favorite thing about Adem Bona?

“This is usually always going to be the answer with guys like him: just his character, his personality, who he is as a person,” Cronin said. “Now at, whatever, 8 o’clock Thursday night it’s going to be his ability. Last 10 minutes against Colorado it’s his basketball ability.”

The beauty of UCLA’s current season is that Bona is just one of several teammates with the kind of natural disposition that lends to constant improvement and excellent team morale. That’s made this season a pleasure for Cronin so far.

“It’s our job, when you can coach a player that’s really good but also has everything you want in an attitude (it’s nice),” Cronin said. “Like in all the world of coaches we all lament to each other all the time. It’s non-stop, society is miserable at times. ‘This guy can’t play.’ We’re all sitting around, ‘He can’t do this, that.’ When you can get a heck of a player that has an unbelievable attitude, which I have a team full of them, you know it and you have to enjoy it.”

Alas, Cronin knows he sometimes comes across a little intense. That’s a product of the team he’s got and the lofty expectations that come with such a talented group.

“I know I look like I’m intense because we’re trying to do great things this year, but I’m well aware of the situation, because I’ve got a lot of guys like him,” Cronin said.