How UCLA’s Mick Cronin stretched Bruins’ bucks: ‘Couldn’t be happier’

Funny what a little money can do. UCLA basketball coach Mick Cronin told the California Post that his team’s financial resources put it in the top half of the Big Ten but not among the conference’s top five teams. And yet … The Bruins snagged an emerging 17-year-old superstar in Nikola Kusturica. They brought in a dynamic playmaking guard in Jaylen Petty. They landed another guard in Azavier “Stink” Robinson, who might be the best on-ball defender Cronin has coached. Nikola Kusturica of Serbia takes a free throw during the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup semifinal game between Turkiye and Serbia at BDC Main Venue in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, July 4, 2026. NurPhoto via Getty Images The team appears to have addressed deficiencies in rebounding and defense — particularly when it comes to stop