The last time UCLA men's basketball had a draft prospect of Nikola Kusturica's caliber, you would have to go back a decade when Lonzo Ball arrived on campus. Kusturica, an international star forward out of Serbia, is one of the top contenders to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2028 NBA Draft and will have to play two seasons of college basketball due to the draft's age requirement.
The 17-year-old is coming off a dominant run in the FIBA U17 World Cup, highlighted by a 37-point outburst against Team USA in the championship game earlier this summer. Kusturica committed to play for coach Mick Cronin last month over reigning national champion Michigan and Kentucky, giving UCLA a much-needed superstar-caliber player that will raise the floor and ceiling of the roster.
In an exclusive interview with CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein on Inside College Basketball Now, Cronin outlined expectations for Kusturica and said the program will take "baby steps" with the star freshman forward.
"I think I've got to protect him, though, because he's coming to a place where everybody wants your blood," Cronin said. "The minute you don't have a great game, they're going to pick you apart. You've got to give the guy the chance. Leave the guy alone, let him do his thing. He's going to have ups and downs."
The 6-foot-8 wing had plenty of highlight plays this summer, giving basketball fans around the globe a glimpse of what he is capable of doing at the college level. He is one of three notable freshmen who will have to play at least two years of college basketball due to the age requirement, joining Texas' Marcus Spears Jr. and Duke's Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje.
What stands out the most to Cronin about his star freshman on tape, you may ask? It might not be what you expect.
"The thing I love the most about him is his passing," Cronin said. "Six-eight or nine and great with the bounce. The ability to find people over the top with his vision is a huge weapon. A huge weapon."
How UCLA built a roster before Kusturica's arrival
UCLA was active this offseason in the transfer portal and attempted to land several big names, including Southern California native Tounde Yessfou, who committed to St. John's on the day of the deadline to stay or withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft. By landing Kusturica, UCLA got its big fish it was desperately looking for this offseason, which makes the Bruins a near lock to open somewhere in the top 20 of the AP Top 25 poll.
UCLA is currently No. 17 in Gary Parrish's Top 25 and 1. Before the Bruins landed Kusturica last month, UCLA was unranked in the Top 25 and 1 rankings that update frequently throughout the offseason.
Before UCLA secured a commitment from Kusturica, Cronin worked his magic to retain several familiar faces from last season, including Xavier Booker, Trent Perry and Eric Dailey Jr. Retention has been a strength of Cronin's throughout the transfer portal era, dating back to the pre-NIL era when he was at Cincinnati for over a decade.
"The transfer portal is good for players that think they need a change," Cronin said. "Some guys aren't playing, and they want to play more. ... we were fortunate this year that all five of our guys stayed. Most of my players have stayed my whole career. That's how you build. It's the truth."
During UCLA's first two seasons in the new conference, the program finished with an identical 13-7 record in league play. With Kusturica in the fold and Cronin able to retain several key rotational pieces from last season's roster that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, UCLA is projected to have its best roster since joining the Big Ten in 2024
"Your first two years in the Big Ten are tough," Cronin said. "We have had a couple of guys drafted. We have had some good teams. We haven't had a great team. The answer is getting back to having a great team. And it just goes down to players."
