Adem Bona - Men's Basketball - UCLA (original) (raw)

Career
Played in 66 games through two seasons (65 starts) … averaged 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.7 blocks per game … averaged 24.7 minutes per game in 66 contests … was selected No. 41 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2024 NBA Draft (second round selection on June 27, 2024) … scored in double figures in 33 games and registered at least 20 points in four games (all during the 2023-24 season) … recorded six double-doubles (five as a sophomore, one as a freshman) … ranks No. 6 on UCLA’s career blocks list (115) … became UCLA’s first player with at least 50 blocks in consecutive seasons since Dan Gadzuric in 1999-00 and 2000-01 … twice earned Pac-12 All-Defensive Team recognition … totaled a career-high 28 points in UCLA’s season-opening win over Saint Francis (Nov. 6, 2023).

2023-24
Started all 33 games during his sophomore season … averaged 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.8 blocks per game … averaged 26.5 minutes per game … led the Bruins with 58 blocks (1.8 bpg) and ranked second on the team with 37 steals (1.1 spg) … ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 in blocks per game (1.8) and No. 3 in overall field goal percentage (58.8%) … earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors for the first time in his career … was honored as the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, becoming UCLA’s second consecutive winner of that award (Jaylen Clark, 2023) … secured Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors for the second straight season … was one of 15 players named to the midseason watch list for the Naismith Men’s Defensive Player of the Year Award … totaled a team-leading five double-doubles … scored at least 10 points in 24 games and registered at least 20 points in four games … finished with at least 10 rebounds in six games … scored a career-best 28 points and had nine rebound and four blocks in the Bruins’ season-opening win against Saint Francis (Nov. 6) … also had 22 points in a win against Washington (Jan. 14) and 20 points in a victory over Long Island University (Nov. 15) … totaled a career-best seven blocks in the Bruins’ 68-66 win at Arizona State (Jan. 17) … made a career-high 10 shots in two games – against Washington (10-for-13 on Jan. 14) and versus Saint Francis (10-for-16 on Nov. 6) … shot 69.6 percent at the free throw line, including a perfect 8-for-8 effort in a home win over Arizona State (March 9) … played at least 30 minutes in 10 contests.

2022-23
Played in 33 games, making 32 starts … averaged 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game … averaged 22.9 minutes per game … ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 in overall field goal percentage (67.5%) … was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, the Bruins’ first such selection in the Pac-12 since Lonzo Ball in 2017 … was one of five student-athletes to secure Pac-12 All-Freshman team honors (along with teammate Amari Bailey) … was one of five players to earn Pac-12 All-Defensive Team acclaim (along with teammate Jaylen Clark) … single-season shooting percentage of 67.5% ranks No. 3 on UCLA’s single-season record list (with a minimum 75 made shots in a season) … led the Bruins with 57 blocks (1.7 blocks per game) and ranked No. 4 in the Pac-12 in blocks per game … was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week in back-to-back weeks in early January … scored in double figures in nine games … recorded at least 10 rebounds in three games … had one double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the Bruins’ win against Colorado in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament (March 9) … recorded a season-high 18 points (and had three blocks) in UCLA’s road win at Washington (Jan. 1) … totaled a season-high 11 rebounds against Arizona State (March 2) … registered a season-high three blocks in six games … had a season-high three steals in a win at Washington State (Dec. 30) … did not play against Arizona (March 11) or Gonzaga (March 23) due to a left shoulder injury sustained during the Pac-12 Tournament.

High School
Was a two-year varsity basketball letterwinner at Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) playing for head coach Billy McKnight … was selected to play in the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game … also was chosen to the rosters for the 2022 Jordan Brand Classic (in Chicago) … was ranked No. 15, nationally, in the 247Sports.com composite recruit rankings, among players in his high school class … was ranked as the second-best player in the state of California by 247Sports.com and ESPN.com … was ranked No. 16, nationally, by ESPN.com and No. 22 by Rivals.com … was listed by ESPN.com and Rivals.com as the fourth-best center in the nation … averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 2.5 assists as a senior at Prolific Prep in 2021-22 … was named an honorable mention All-America selection by MaxPreps.com at the conclusion of the 2021-22 high school season … helped lead Prolific Prep to a 26-7 record, as his high school program concluded the year ranked No. 16 in the ESPN High School Boys’ Basketball Top 25 rankings … Prolific Prep advanced to the semifinals of the 2022 GEICO Nationals, hosted at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla. … Prolific Prep dropped a 59-53 decision in the semifinal round to Link Academy

International
Representing the nation of Turkey (in July of 2022), was one of five players named to the “All-Star Five” at the FIBA U20 European Championship, having averaged 17.0 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game … finished the 2022 FIBA U20 tournament having shot 66.2 percent (43-of-65) from the field and 68.8 percent (33-of-48) at the free throw line, through seven contests … Turkey finished in sixth place in the tournament, defeating Belgium (78-75) to advance to the fifth-place match before losing to France (84-65) in the fifth-place contest.

Personal
Full name: Adem Bona Okoro … born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria … his parents grew up in the Ebonyi State (Nigeria) … is the son of the late Chikaodiri Okoro (father) and Udu Chinyere (mother, goes by “Cigdem”) … is the youngest of his five siblings – has two brothers (Obinna, Emeka) and two sisters (Chidinma, Amaka) … grew up playing soccer and began to play basketball at the age of 13 … moved from Nigeria to Turkey at the age of 13 … African-American studies major.