In Reply to: Re: Wings posted by jerseybruin on April 09, 2026 at 19:18:38
From what I'm reading UCLA just doesn't have enough money to compete with the big boys - the big money boy universities, and the big bucks transfers. The asking prices have been outrageous and getting more so. I heard that UCLA has been priced out of the really highly rated bigs. They just can't meet the asking prices. If you need six guys the budget can get blown by bringing in one or two big names for all those places that aren't Michigan or Kentucky or Duke or the handful of other high rollers. I think Dent kind of broke the UCLA bank last year (and maybe Booker as well a little bit) leaving Cronin to bring in the likes of Alston, Brown, Peoples, and, even maybe to an extent, Jamerson. Why do you think Cronin was saying he could use an extra $5,000,000? He probably needs it just to keep up. It's all implied innuendos because no one is talking specifics and no one knows how much money anyone has or is getting. Without fanatical deep deep pockets a university can't really get into the game. It's going to get worse unless some entity steps in and applies some sanity to the landscape. At least that's my take on things by reading tea leaves between the lines of the fuzzy picture.