Mick Cronin arrived at UCLA in 2019, led a crazy Final Four run in year two, and built success in a quick time with the Bruins. Unfortunately, this team really struggled in the final year of the Pac-12 before a bounce back effort last season. After finishing under .500 in their former league, it’s a testament to the recent improvement that UCLA stood out in the new-look Big Ten.
These Bruins won 23 games last season, tying for 4th in the Big Ten standings while securing Cronin’s fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament with the program. They entered that season with heightened expectations after a few offseason changes, returning to the Big Dance and winning a game there, but you can argue the same expectations are alive and well this offseason.
While the Bruins certainly didn’t have a perfect offseason, they return multiple starters and a roster full of talent and experience. In fact, there are no notable new freshmen expected in the rotation, with Cronin and his staff building a viable lineup using the transfer portal and those major returners. Still, the Bruins saw Sebastian Mack leave town after a pair of bright seasons and have nee to replace lost pieces like Dylan Andrews and Kobe Johnson as well.
We’ll get into who exactly joined the Bruins in the offseason and why big things could come to Los Angeles again this season, though it’s also important to temper expectations. The Bruins are still just in their second year in the Big Ten and it’s a long season with a lot of travel to the Midwest. Regardless, we’ll look carefully at that schedule and the faces both old and new and see what exactly we can expect this season.
Projected Starters
Guard – Donovan Dent (Senior)
The crown jewel of the Bruin’s offseason, Dent joins UCLA after fantastic work across three years at New Mexico, taking the Lobos to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. He averaged 20.4 points and 6.4 assists per game as the Mountain West’s top scorer and should assume a major leadership role in this Bruins’ backcourt. Dent will lead the charge for the Bruins and really make this rotation better as a whole.
Guard – Skyy Clark (Senior)
It may have found Clark time to find his place in this sport, but he returns for a second year with the Bruins after previous work at Illinois and Louisville. A 6-3 guard from Los Angeles, his work for his hometown team was solid last season, averaging 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists as a starting guard for the Bruins. The volume wasn’t heavy but he did make nearly 40% from outside the arc and likely will shoulder more responsibility as a senior.
Forward – Eric Dailey Jr. (Junior)
Dailey arrived at Oklahoma State as a Top 50 prospect with great potential, but the 6-8 forward out of Florida stayed just one season before arriving in Los Angeles last year. His first year with UCLA saw solid growth, putting up 11.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game for the Bruins. Dailey is one of those returning starters expected to take another step forward now as an upperclassman.
Forward – Tyler Bilodeau (Senior)
Last season Bilodeau was a key piece of the transfer portal haul for the Bruins, but he grew into a larger role than expected. The former Oregon State forward became UCLA’s leading scorer, averaging 13.5 points and 4.6 rebounds with solid shooting numbers in a leadership role for this program. His return is clearly excellent news as he steps into an even bigger role as a fourth-year player in this frontcourt.
Forward – Xavier Booker (Junior)
Booker is a 6-11 forward out of Indianapolis who was a 5-star prospect but his work at Michigan State was underwhelming. He spent the last two seasons with the Spartans with minimal impact, averaging just 4.7 points and 2.2 rebounds a game as a sophomore. However, Cronin and staff are hoping they can get something special out of Booker, who tracked as an NBA-level player with skills all over the court and if he can be a solid center it would do wonders for this lineup.
Key Reserves
Guard – Trent Perry (Sophomore)
There wasn’t a ton for Perry in last year’s rotation, but this former Top 30 prospect could carve a more prominent role as a sophomore. He put up 3.7 points and 1.7 rebounds as a reserve for the Bruins as a freshman, though his useful comes both as a scorer and defender. If he can bring the intensity on both ends, expect him to get important run at both guard positions.
Guard – Jamar Brown (Senior)
Another notable piece of this transfer portal class, Brown heads to UCLA after valuable experience with Kansas City in the Summit League. The former junior college player contributed 17.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game for the Roos and was one of the league’s top shooters, making 40% from beyond the arc and nearly 90% from the charity stripe. Adjusting to the Big Ten isn’t easy but he’s a valuable weapon off the bench.
Guard/Forward – Brandon Williams (Sophomore)
Williams is a 6-7 guard from Queens who came to UCLA two seasons ago as a 4-star athlete with potential. He put up just 3.1 points and 2.2 rebounds and earned a handful of starts as a freshman, but Williams redshirted last season. Now he’s a more developed player with positional versatility who can really score the basketball and impact the game on multiple levels.
Guard – Eric Freeny (Freshman)
We didn’t see Freeny on the court last season, as he redshirted after coming to UCLA as a Top 100 prospect. That might have been a bit of a surprise, but it gave him a season to grow in Cronin’s system. Freeny rates as a versatile weapon that can do a bit of everything and those kinds of players are important for the depth, even if this is his first year of collegiate ball.
Forward/Center – Steven Jamerson II (Senior)
A 6-10 center from Los Angeles, Jamerson is back in his hometown for his final collegiate campaign after previous work in D1 at San Diego. A starter in the Toreros’ frontcourt the last two seasons, Jamerson put up 10.0 points and 7.8 rebounds with a decent showing as a senior last year. He’ll now likely be an important backup piece in a new-look frontcourt and the Bruins will definitely need quality minutes from him this year.
Schedule Outlook
The Bruins could have quite the showing in their exhibition matchup at San Diego State in October, though let’s just focus on the games that count and there are a few doozies. UCLA will be at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood to play Arizona on November 14 but they certainly aren’t their only former rival on the schedule.
The Bruins face Cal in San Francisco later in the month before beginning Big Ten play with matchups against Washington and Oregon in early December. More challenges come later in the month as nonconference play isn’t over quite yet. The Bruins aren’t in a big holiday tournament, but head back up to Seattle to play Gonzaga on December 13. They see Arizona State at home a few days later and then begin Big Ten play in earnest to start off January.
Some breaks are definitely caught in the conference schedule for the Bruins, who don’t have to travel to places like Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue, playing those teams only at home. On the contrary, Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State some notably schools they’ll only face on the road, with that two-game Michigan trip coming in mid-February. Their schedule wraps with the Big Ten Tournament out in Chicago.
Season Outlook
UCLA brought back three of their top four players from last season but it’s the offseason addition of Dent that makes this team a real player in the Big Ten race. There’s no question that that level of stability is becoming rarer in college basketball, especially after what Bilodeau brought to town last season, and there’s no question that this team looks even more complete moving forward.
The work at New Mexico was on another level for Dent and he immediately jumps into a leadership role for this team. Getting an experience player who has Tournament success to run the point wasn’t just a win for the Bruins, Cronin landed one of the top players in the entire transfer portal. Pairing him with Clark, who showed signs of brilliance last season, builds quite the backcourt that can do damage in the Big Ten.
We know what Bilodeau brings the table and Dailey shined at times as a sophomore last season, but questions remain at the 5. Bilodeau could further develop into an elite frontcourt presence, but Booker has a lot to prove this season. He’s got a world of potential and needs to show some of that after flailing with the Spartans when given these kinds of opportunities.
Regardless of how things work out at center, UCLA still has four very impressive pieces in this starting lineup and a unique balance on the bench. Adding Brown and Jamerson gave much needed depth at two notable positions. Meanwhile, if someone like Perry or Freeny can live up to high school potential than the Bruins could really have something special brewing.
Nobody knows exactly what will happen when the games start counting but UCLA has the pieces to win games in the Big Ten this season. A big part of last season’s struggle was all those new road trips and you have wonder if that fatigue plays a role again this year. However, Cronin has built quite a rotation and this could be the type of thing on par with those teams helmed by Johnny Juzang and Jaime Jaquez Jr. a few years ago.