LOS ANGELES — A number of questions will need to be answered as the UCLA Bruins enter the 2024-25 season. The rotation has been surrounded by uncertainty, with the Bruins adding nine new players to help them adjust to the challenges they will face in their first season in the Big Ten.

How will UCLA handle the change in schedule that comes with playing in the Big Ten?

Head coach Mick Cronin is concerned about the buildup of travel throughout the season. But he said his biggest concern about the Bruins moving from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten is the additional day student-athletes will spend away from school and away from home because of the way the program is organized.

In the Pac-12, games are held one day apart, while in the Big Ten, games are held two or three days apart.

“The longer you keep these guys away from home, they tend to lose focus,” Cronin said. “They tend to drift a little bit.”

The backdrop to these road trips can be sloppy for the Bruins as they adjust to a new schedule.

Will depth cause players to have difficulty defining roles?

Depth has been the buzzword of the preseason and Cronin seems fed up with it.

“You keep assuming we have all these guys,” he said. “I’m trying to find five that can play the way we need them to play to win.”

First of all, red shirts will be recruited. But it’s unrealistic to expect a 10+ man rotation to equal wins. The problem is that the Bruins have more than 10 players who can earn playing time, which means individuals’ playing time will fluctuate. However, players may have difficulty understanding their roles from game to game, and defined roles are crucial to success in basketball.

For now, the buzzword coupled with depth is sacrifice.

“Not everyone is going to be a 20-point scorer, not everyone is going to be a 10-plus rebound player,” USC transfer Kobe Johnson said. “But you know, you have to find what you do best for this team and do it well.”

In fact, Johnson says this: Find your role and practice it. This is easier said than done when the allocation of minutes is unpredictable.

When will we understand the Bruins’ best offensive and defensive lineups?

Cronin said he got a feel for UCLA’s leading offensive and defensive roster. When asked for details about the personnel in these different scenarios, he did not share as expected.

He praised Johnson’s defensive instincts and complimented Oregon State transfer Tyler Bilodeau’s ability to score three-level goals.

Other than that, predicting how the relevant groups will turn out is pure speculation. Especially since Cronin will continue to tinker throughout UCLA’s upcoming slate of non-conference home games.