NCAA Basketball: 5 way-too-early winners of class of 2022 recruiting cycle
By Matt Melton
UCLA Bruins
The “Cinderella” of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, the Bruins are appearing to be set to be very good for the next couple of seasons. A big reason for this? Their success on the recruiting trail.
After reeling in two Top 10 classes during the 2017 and 2018 cycles, the Bruins did not necessarily have near the same amount of success during the next two years. Now yes, this may be directly correlated to a coaching change, but the Bruins are rolling on all fronts right now, and that is carrying over into the 2022 class.
After landing a Top 50 class this past offseason headlined by 5-star forward and Top 10 national player Peyton Watson, UCLA currently sports the #2 class in the country for the Class of 2022. Obviously, the piece that sticks out is 5-star combo-guard and Top 5 national player Amari Bailey, and rightfully so.
Bailey was originally committed to UCLA back in late-2018, but de=committed in July of 2019. The star guard from Sierra Canyon (CA) however recommitted to the Bruins back in February of 2021 which was a massive pickup for head coach Mick Cronin. While Bailey is the current top committed player in the country, and obviously is the main piece in this class, 4-star PG and Top 40 national player Dylan Andrews is no joke either.
UCLA appears early on to be building something special in their 2022 recruiting class, and their recent success on the court in the 2021 NCAA Tournament will only help that. Don’t be surprised if the Bruins finish with a Top 10 class once again, perhaps even in the Top 5 overall.