19. UCLA (5-1)
Had everything gone according to plan, Mick Cronin’s group would’ve finished the job last week and knocked off Arizona, but your lone blemish being to those Wildcats isn’t the end of the world. Suffice to say, UCLA hasn’t exactly looked overpowering to begin this season but this team has the talent to make noise in the Big Ten and finally started to display that this week.
Fresh off that effort, the Bruins secured a blowout win over Sacramento State in a 79-48 effort. That Tuesday night game saw 15 points and 10 rebounds from Eric Dailey Jr. and great defense from the Bruins as a team. The action on Friday was thankfully more of the same, as UCLA coasted 86-46 in another blowout against Presbyterian. Skyy Clark stood out with 22 points, Donovan Dent added 14 points and 5 assists, and the Bruins shot well and played strong defense again.
After a few questionable games in the first weeks of the season, UCLA seems to be back into their mojo as Dent is back in the lineup. He’s expected to be the star for the Bruins and when he starts to step up we could really see the Bruins doing serious week. Next up is the Empire Classic in San Francisco and a matchup with former league rival California, but there’s no shortage of chances for Dent and this lineup to prove themselves ahead.