Thoughts on Branden Carlson, Keba Keita, and Gabe Madsen in the Utah-UCLA Game

January 12^th, 2024

Yesterday, I wanted to watch Utah’s 7-0 senior center, Branden Carlson play in a basketball game, so I took the time to watch him play against the extremely underwhelming UCLA team in a matchup that featured potential first round prospect, Adem Bona. It was actually a close game in the first half, but Utah absolutely dominated UCLA in the second half, and Utah went on to get a 46-point win over their opponent. Here are my thoughts on how Carlson and other various prospects fared in this game.

Utah’s 7-0 senior center, Branden Carlson had a fairly solid showing in his team’s double-digit win over UCLA. Though he didn’t shoot the ball well from the outside, he excelled at making other plays when he was on the court. Carlson showed a good ability to score out of the post. He displayed a solid combination of strength, shooting touch, and finishing ability to consistently score around the basket. Carlson was able to throw down a dunk, score on a jump hook, and he also scored on a step-through move while getting fouled another time. He also was able to draw free throws on a tip-in. While he was able to make a quick corner three early on, he struggled to consistently make threes in this game. He also had a shot blocked off of a drive another time.

Also, Carlson passed the ball well. He was able to make an assortment of passes to set up scores for his teammates, as he can make passes off the dribble and find teammates on the move to get them the basketball. Plus, he did a terrific job of rebounding the basketball. He also played satisfactory defense. Carlson would rotate to block and contest shots in the paint to force misses. On the other hand, sometimes he would sag too far off his man and not actively contest mid-range jumpers, which would lead him to allow scores that time.

In general, Branden Carlson played well in his team’s win over UCLA. He is an agile, skilled big man that can make hustle plays on both ends of the floor. He will need to be a more consistent shooter from beyond the arc, but he has a variety of skills that could enable him to excel as a role player in the NBA, and he could be an intriguing option for NBA teams to consider in the second round of the 2024 draft.

Utah’s 6-8 Malian sophomore big man, Keba Keita put forth a terrific performance in his team’s blowout win over UCLA. He did a great job of scoring on hustle plays, and he also excelled at scoring out of the post, as he was able to make some very athletic, highlight reel-worthy plays in this game. He would often score on strong dunks off of rolls, in transition, as well as on other opportunities around the basket. Keita thrived at scoring on off-ball motion plays, and he also was able to catch lobs to score on layups and dunks at the rim. He also was able to use a powerful move to score on a jump hook out of the post, but he would sometimes miss due to rushing.

He also was able to leap up to make a very impressive, difficult catch after running down the floor to get the ball midway though this game. Overall, Keita played very well in this game, and he is a high-motor big man that thrived at making plays to help his team get the win. Though he’s undersized to play inside, his athleticism, motor, and feel for the game could enable him to make his way to the NBA someday.

Utah’s 6-6 senior swingman, Gabe Madsen had a solid showing in his team’s win over UCLA. He excelled as a shooter and scorer when he was on the floor, and he showed off versatile scoring skills in this game. Madsen showed a fairly solid ability to knock down threes. He was able to run off the ball to make a quick three. He also showed a knack for utilizing quick side step moves to make pull-up threes due to possessing solid agility, ball handling, and shooting touch. Also, he was able to score on a quick drive to the hoop. He also passed the ball well, and he was able to throw a long outlet pass to find a teammate on the break to set up a score for him.

Overall, Madsen played well, as he quietly had a solid all-around showing in this game. He did a good job of making plays to help his team on both ends of the floor, and he is an agile, skilled swingman that could project into a 3 and D role at the NBA level.

Utah’s 7-1 junior center, Lawson Lovering played well in his team’s blowout win over UCLA. He showed a knack for making plays on both ends of the floor. He excelled as a scorer out of the post, as well as on hustle plays. He would score and get free throws on aggressive moves from the post. He also was able to score and get fouled in transition as well as on a put back.

Plus, he also is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass, and he was able to roll to the post and then find a corner shooter to notch an assist. Lovering also did a good job of rebounding the basketball. He also defended well. On one good play, he was able to rotate to block a shot hard off of a drive to a teammate. On the downside, he was also fairly foul prone. Overall, Lovering is an agile, high-motor big man that showed a knack for making hustle plays on both ends of the floor, and he could end up being a reliable rotational big man in the NBA someday.

Utah’s 6-7 senior swingman, Cole Bajema had a solid showing in his team’s win over UCLA. He excelled as a three-point shooter, and he especially thrived at making open corner threes off the catch. He also scored on a strong drive to the hoop. Overall, he is an agile, skilled swingman that can shoot and score the basketball, and Bajema’s jump shot could enable him to make it to the NBA someday.

Deivon Smith had a solid showing in his team’s win over UCLA. He is an athletic, energetic playmaker that played well on both ends of the floor. He showed a knack for making shots from all over the floor. He would make smooth, step-back threes, and he also was able to make a corner three. He also was able to score on a tough floater in traffic.

Smith also passed the ball well, and he would consistently find teammates on the move to set up scores for them. He also rebounded well. Plus, he would get his hands on balls to help his team get steals and deflections, but he also was fairly foul prone. Overall, Smith played very well in his team’s win over UCLA. Though he’s undersized to play the point, his ability to make plays with the ball in his hands could enable him to be a capable backup point guard in the NBA someday.

Utah’s 6-3 senior guard, Hunter Erickson played well off the bench in his team’s win over UCLA. He was able to quickly jump a pass to get a steal, and he then turned that into a fast break dunk. He also used a quick hesitation move to make a pull-up three. He also defended well, as he would get his hands on passes to get steals. Overall, Erickson is a fairly athletic combo guard that excelled at making plays in limited minutes, and he is a high-motor player that may have what it takes to make it ot the NBA someday.

Other Notes:

Adem Bona is an athletic, energetic big man that had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Utah. On one hand, he was able to make some solid defensive plays, and he also made an open, mid-range jump shot late in this game. On the other, he still didn’t take many shots, was too turnover prone and mostly a non-factor on offense, and he also ran into some foul trouble in this game.

Bona showed an adequate ability to score out of the post. He was able to outmuscle an opponent to score on a right-handed, jump hook. On the other hand, he missed on a contested, turnaround jumper another time. He also made a wide-open, mid-range jumper to show his emerging shooting skills. However, he still didn’t look to shoot the ball that often, and he also missed an open mid-range jumper another time, as he shot it too hard once.

He also was quite turnover prone in this game. For the positives, Bona is an unselfish player that can sometimes make passes out of the post. However, he generally struggled to handle the ball out of the post, especially when facing ball pressure. He also was called for setting a moving screen early on.

Surprisingly, Bona didn’t grab many rebounds in this game. Defensively, he looked to be fairly average. For the positives, he would get his hands on passes to help his team get steals. He also would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses. However, he would sometimes struggle to defend quicker players, which would lead him to commit fouls. Another time, he was caught ball watching and was slow to defend a corner three, which led his team to give up the basket that time.

Overall, Adem Bona didn’t have a great game against Utah, as he didn’t make shots efficiently, didn’t record an assist, and didn’t grab many rebounds in this game. While he arguably defended the best amongst all UCLA players that played in this game, it can be argued that no one on UCLA defended well, because they lost by 46 points. Bona hasn’t seemed to expand his offensive game as quickly as anticipated, but he likely would project to be a defensive specialist at the NBA level. Currently, he projects to be a second round prospect, and he could end up being a backup center in the NBA.

Sebastian Mack is an athletic, energetic combo guard that had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Utah. On one hand, he is an aggressive scorer that would often draw free throws on strong drives to the hoop, and he also was able to change directions to score early on. However, he would tend to miss wildly when he wouldn’t get foul calls, and he also struggled to knock down outside shots in this game, and Mack especially had trouble making threes. Mack’s inability to make threes would make it difficult for him to score efficiently, especially since they could sag off of him to get him to take and miss jumpers. He also didn’t look to pass the ball very often.

On the other hand, he did rebound well relative to his size. Defensively, he struggled in this game. On one good play, he was able to intercept a pass to get a steal. His lack of size made it difficult for him to contest jump shots, and he and his team would often allow opponents to score on jumpers.

Overall, Mack didn’t have a great game, but he showed some promise despite that. He shows some real potential as a scorer, as he has a knack for drawing free throws when driving to the hoop. However, he will need to add a reliable jump shot to his arsenal, and he will need to improve in the other facets of the game. If so, he could end up being a solid backup point guard in the NBA sometime down the road.

Berke Buyuktuncel didn’t have a very good game in his team’s loss to Utah. On one hand, he is an energetic combo forward that was able to make some plays on offense and he also was able to grab some tough rebounds. However, he didn’t shoot the ball very well, and he struggled defensively.

For the positives, Buyuktuncel was at his best when looking to score on hustle plays. He ran the floor to get the ball down court, and he was able to score on a tough layup while getting fouled. He also showed a decent ability to score out of the post, and he was able to score using a strong, stepthrough move. However, he had trouble knocking down mid-range jumpers, and he also missed a three another time.

He also passed the ball well. He is a good passer that can make passes off the dribble and out of the post. He also was able to find a cutter to notch an assist. He also did an adequate job of rebounding the basketball, and Buyuktuncel was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor. Defensively though, he struggled. For the positives, he was able to successfully draw a charge once. He also contested a corner three to force a miss. However, he’s not very quick, and he often struggled to defend off the dribble or out of the post, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores. Another time, he sagged too far off his man, which led him to allow a three-point basket.

Overall, Buyuktuncel is a high-motor combo forward that can make some plays on both ends of the floor, but he will need to improve his jump shot and defense. He’s also not very athletic, so his lack of foot speed makes it difficult for him to guard more athletic opponents when he’s on the floor. Buyuktuncel will need to focus more on improving his shooting and defense, and he especially needs to work on his spot-up shooting, but if he can, he could one day project into a 3 and D role at the NBA level someday.

There was some anticipation as to how Aday Mara would fare against Utah, especially as he started this game, but he played poorly in his team’s blowout loss to them. He really struggled to make shots or to defend, and though he would make a solid play every once in a while, he clearly looked to be overmatched in this game.

Early on, Mara was able to get deep position to score on a jump hook, and he flashed some ability to be a low post scorer. However, as the game progressed, he really had trouble making mid-range jumpers despite being open, as he couldn’t get his shots to fall.

He also was quite turnover prone. Mara was called for setting a moving screen to commit an offensive foul and a turnover. Also, he tried to make a move from the post, but had a ball ripped away from him to turn it over.

Though he started the game, Mara only was able to get one rebound against Utah. He also struggled defensively. For the positives, he would look to contest shots in the paint, and when in position, he can use his length to force some misses. He was able to stay with an opponent when defending out on the perimeter to block a shot off of a drive out of bounds. Another time, he was able to use his length to successfully challenge a three-point shot. However, his lack of mobility made it difficult for him to defend in other situations. He often would be too slow to rotate to defend drives or rolls, which would lead his team to give up baskets at the rim. His thin frame and lack of strength made it difficult for him to defend in the post, as he would get overpowered, leading him to commit fouls and allow scores. He also struggled to defend quicker players, and late in the game, he got beat off of a baseline drive to give up a dunk.

Overall, Aday Mara had another disappointing showing in this game, and he hasn’t looked to be nearly the prospect that he appeared to be in the Spanish ACB League. He’s looked to be far less athletic or energetic in the college game compared to overseas, and he hasn’t really shown much shooting touch on offense. Also, he didn’t really look to roll to the rim against Utah, and in any case, he has a long way to go as a prospect for the NBA. Overall, he will need more seasoning to improve his game, but if he can make considerable strides to do so, he could one day end up being a situational backup center similar to Boston Celtics’ center, Luke Kornet in the association.

Other Thoughts:

UCLA is by far the most disappointing team in college basketball, as they drop to 6-10 on the season. Utah shot the ball really well, they passed and defended well, and they deserve a lot of credit for getting this big win. But for UCLA, they are by far an extremely disappointing team, especially since they came into the season with having highly touted prospects for the 2024 draft.

Aday Mara looks like a complete stiff, as he showed very little to no shooting touch, was too slow to maneuver around defensively, and I wonder how he even played in the Spanish ACB League, let alone one of the top professional leagues in international basketball last season, given his lack of mobility or shooting touch, and he didn’t show much in terms of screen setting skills either against Utah. Mara is by far, the most disappointing player in college basketball this season, and he doesn’t even remotely look like the same player that played in Spain last season. To me, it’s very surprising that a 7-3 center that posted a near 60% field goal percentage and roughly a 19 PER in the Spanish ACB League is making just 46% of his field goals and has only a PER that is a shade under 13 on a below .500 team this season in college basketball.

Adem Bona doesn’t seem to have improved from last season, as he’s still quite offensively raw, doesn’t take enough shots on offense, and he’s still turnover and foul prone. UCLA’s guards chuck too much and didn’t show much court vision, and their lack of size and ability to defend the three-ball really hurt them in this game. And while Berke Buyuktuncel played hard, he didn’t shoot well at all, and his lack of mobility also made it difficult for his team to get stops in this game. Moreover, UCLA did a terrible job of defending the three-ball, and while Utah was completely in sync on both ends of the floor, UCLA was not in sync at all in the second half of this game.

I also think UCLA’s head coach Mick Cronin has done a poor job of coaching his team this year, as he’s done way less with a talented team this year, and they’ve looked terrible this season. But also, UCLA’s freshmen international prospects have turned out to be vastly overrated, and I’ll admit I also overrated them to start the season. I was expecting Mara, Buyuktuncel, and Jan Vide to make a significant impact onto college basketball, and that I’d have to know something about Ilane Fibleuil by the season’s end. Instead, they really haven’t made much of an impact this season. It’s clear that Mara hasn’t been able to adjust to the athleticism of players in college basketball, and he looks to be nowhere near the projected lottery pick status that he was hyped up to be coming into the season.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Branden Carlson and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.