Adem Bona 'unlikely' to play for UCLA against Gonzaga

It sounds like UCLA will have to go through its Sweet Sixteen game against Gonzaga without one of its best defenders. Adem Bona is “unlikely” to play, according to the program.

Bona is one of the anchors of the Bruins defense this season, leading the team in blocked shots with 1.7 per game. He has been dealing with a shoulder injury, and UCLA head coach Mick Cronin said he was feeling “extremely sore” following the Round of 32 victory over Northwestern. He did not play in the first round against UNC Asheville.

Bona was in sweats during warm-ups ahead of the Gonzaga game, which didn’t bode well for his availability.

“He’s sore. He’s extremely sore,” Cronin said. “If he gets hit on it in any way, he’s sore. The fact that he’s out there shows you what a warrior he is. He’s really sore. I mean, he’s playing with a brace on. I mean, he could get a hit in it, he could reach for a ball. Any type of movement like that is going to aggravate him and it’s just going to be like that.”

As for whether or not Cronin thought the freshman forward would be able to go against Gonzaga, he didn’t know for sure.

“He’s going to be sore,” Cronin said. “There’s always going to be a discussion. I don’t know the details. It’s going to happen.”

UCLA will be shorthanded against Gonzaga

Bona, a true freshman and Pac-12 All-Defense selection, played 20 minutes against Northwestern as the Bruins beat the Wildcats 68-63 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Out of high school, Bona was a five-star recruit and the nation’s No. 20-ranked prospect from the 2022 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Kenneth Nwuba got the start Thursday night against Gonzaga, and he’ll have to help step up to replace Bona’s defense. Nwuba and Jaime Jaquez are tied for second on the UCLA roster with 0.6 blocks per game this season.

But in addition to Bona, the Bruins are also down Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Jaylen Clark, who suffered a season-ending injury in the regular-season finale. That means UCLA will have its hands full against a Gonzaga offense that ranks No. 1 in the nation in adjusted efficiency, according to KenPom.

Tip-off between the Bruins and the Bulldogs is coming up at 10:04 p.m. ET on CBS.