What Tyler Bilodeau's Draft Spot Could Mean for UCLA

The Bruins had, by all means, a good year, finishing with a winning record and ending the season with a second-round exit in the March Madness tournament; however, the standards set for the team called for much better.

They were supposed to at least make the Sweet 16 in theory, and since that did not happen, as well as a few other years that ended similarly, it appears that coach Mick Cronin could be on the hot seatthis upcoming season.

However, after missing some transfers, Cronin could have one saving grace in Tyler Bilodeau, his star player, who is likely going to be drafted to the NBA. Depending on where Bilodeau goes, Cronin might be given some leeway in his position.

The Impact That Would Come if Bilodeau Is Drafted in Mid/Late First Round

• Should Bilodeau be drafted in the mid to late first round, Cronin will be able to put another first-round NBA prospect on his resume, one that could be impressive enough to keep his position intact.

• Because, after all, there are only 30 picks in the first round of the draft, which means that only the top 30 players in the nation can be selected for the honor of being a first-round pick, and some of the players come from overseas, making it that much harder.

• For Cronin to be able to say that he coached Bilodeau into becoming a first-round caliber player could be enough to save him one more year if next season goes poorly.

The Impact That Would Come if Bilodeau Is Drafted in the Second Round

• The same logic would apply for Bilodeau being drafted in the second round as if he were drafted in the first, except that the difference in leverage it would give to Cronin in a situation where he has to defend his job.

• That is because it would mean every team in the NBA would have passed on his player before picking him up later, which is still a huge accomplishment on Bilodeau's part, but it does not look as good on Cronin's record as a first-round pick.

The Impact That Would Come if Bilodeau Is Undrafted and Signed

• Should Bilodeau go undrafted and be a high-priority free agent, then it is likely he will have no impact on whether or not Cronin stays with UCLA or not. Nonetheless, Bilodeau has a great shot to hear his name called on draft night.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as What Tyler Bilodeau's Draft Spot Could Mean for UCLA.

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This story was originally published April 24, 2026 at 8:00 AM.