The work that UCLA has done since joining the Big Ten back in 2024 has been solid, even if the Bruins aren’t exactly making national waves. Mick Cronin has yet to reach those same heights as that crazy run to the Final Four back in 2021, but he has taken UCLA dancing in five of the last six years and has the program in decent enough shape.
There’s a certain standard of success that John Wooden established decades ago, but a 24-win season isn’t horrible even if the Bruins were knocked out in the second round of the Big Dance. UCLA has finished tied for 4th and tied for 6th in their first two Big Ten seasons and are hoping to be even better this year based on who’s around in this lineup.
Changes in Westwood
While there are certainly some changes, the Bruins do return a trio of impactful pieces from last season and have a number of other returning players. UCLA has seen Skyy Clark and Donovan Dent depart, though with lawsuits looming who knows if we’ve seen the last of them in the college basketball universe. Regardless, Cronin and his staff landed some gems both in recruiting and from the transfer haul that should have this team right where they want in the weeks ahead.
There have been six NCAA Tournaments since the pandemic and UCLA has won games in five of them, but the Bruins haven’t had a run into the second weekend since 2023. Cronin is hoping that this is the team that can change that and produce a deep Tourney run and he may not be off base. We’ll dive right into the important pieces in this lineup, including a few notable additions.
Projected Starters
Guard – Trent Perry (Junior)
Year two was a major step forward for Perry at the point, as the former Top 30 recruit became a major part of UCLA’s lineup in his sophomore season. After limited work as a freshman, Perry averaged 12.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists last season, showcasing the kinds of plays that UCLA was excited about when he first came to campus. Expect another step forward as he becomes an upperclassman and leader for this team.
Guard – Jaylen Petty (Sophomore)
One of the staff’s biggest offseason moves was landing Petty from Texas Tech as a major piece in this backcourt. The Seattle native did great work with the Red Raiders as a freshman, putting up 9.9 points per game while making 37% of his 3-pointers next year. It’ll be very interesting to see if Petty can take that step forward in his second collegiate season because he might be the most talented scorer and player on this roster when on his game.
Guard/Forward – Nikola Kusturica (Freshman)
You may be unfamiliar with his name, but Kusturica is a prospect on the rise who we might just see for a couple seasons at the college level. The 17-year old from Serbia figures to play a massive role at small forward for UCLA, especially after great scoring and rebounding at the FIBA World Cup this summer. He’s a massive prospect who can create, finish, and be a beast on the boards; we’ll just have to see how his youth and inexperience affects him.
Guard/Forward – Eric Dailey Jr. (Senior)
Dailey has now spent a pair of seasons starting at forward for the Bruins after his freshman year at Oklahoma State. The Florida native has been effective in this frontcourt and just averaged 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds last season. His shooting numbers were down a tad into his junior season, but Dailey is effective all over the court and should remain a massive influence on this lineup.
Forward/Center – Xavier Booker (Senior)
Another former transfer back for his senior year, Booker had two seasons as a backup at Michigan State before taking on a much more significant role with the Bruins as a junior. He contributed 7.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game largely in a starting role, though the former Top 20 recruit is hoping to be even more effective in year four at the college level.
Key Reserves
Guard/Forward – Brandon Williams (Senior)
A former Top 100 prospect, Williams hasn’t really lived up to his high billings but is hoping that his fourth year at UCLA is his best yet. He did redshirt after a solid showing as a freshman but is still averaging just 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds through 66 career games. Don’t expect him to suddenly become a major playmaker but he provides experience and depth at the wing.
Guard/Forward – Joe Philon III (Freshman)
While he might not jump off the page as much as UCLA’s other big freshman addition, Philon is a 4-star power forward from Tampa who could become an important weapon for this team down the line. Where he really stands out is on defense, with his size and versatility, though it remains to be seen just what impact he’ll make on offense, even with solid shooting potential.
Guard – Eric Freeny (Junior)
We really haven’t seen a ton of Freeny on the court but he’s another highly-regarded former prospect who hasn’t yet gotten his chance. He played in a majority of UCLA’s games last season while putting up just 2.0 points and 1.6 rebounds a game. While those numbers don’t stand out, Freeny did provide key defense at times last season and could be depended on even more in this backcourt rotation.
Forward – Sergej Macura (Junior)
A 6-9 forward from Slovenia, Macura got his first taste of college basketball last season with Mississippi State and is hoping to build on a slow start with these Bruins. He put up 5.0 points and 4.8 rebounds with the Bulldogs, grabbing a couple of starts while sometimes playing limited minutes. We’ll see just how much UCLA trusts this new weapon in a frontcourt that certainly appreciates depth.
Guard – Azavier Robinson (Sophomore)
Another transfer addition, Robinson is an intriguing guard who comes to UCLA by way of Butler. He started a handful of games for the Bulldogs while averaging 6.1 points and 2.5 assists and fits nicely into a role as a backup point guard who can effectively play both backcourt positions. With a step forward as a college sophomore, perhaps he becomes more than that as the year goes on.
Forward/Center – Filip Jovic (Sophomore)
The Bruins get another SEC big man for depth in Jovic, who’s fresh off a freshman campaign with mixed results. He played decently at times, putting up 6.3 points and 4.0 rebounds while getting a few starts with the Tigers. He’s another European big with intriguing potential but it’s all about how this quick and intriguing forward fits into this system.
Schedule Outlook
UCLA jumps right into the thick of things, playing Arizona in Las Vegas on the opening night of the season. They’ll have a few changes back at home over the next couple weeks to figure things out, but then the Bruins are off to the Rady Children’s Invitational over Thanksgiving. That event grants them matchups with Saint Mary’s and either Georgetown or Texas.
December offers that initial taste of Big Ten play with games against Oregon and Washington, but there’s something else sandwiched right between them. The Bruins head to Anaheim to face Gonzaga on December 5th. After that road game at Washington, UCLA finishes nonconference play with three more home dates, notably getting a battle with San Diego State right before New Year’s.
Big Ten play really gets going as the calendar turns to 2027. How the Bruins handle these long road trips will again be key to their potential success. They avoid trips to the Michigan schools and Ohio State, though they’ll host defending champ Michigan on January 26th be at Illinois a week later on February 2nd. Both of their games against rival USC come late in the season, including Senior Night on March 6.
Season Outlook
Describing the players in this lineup has felt at times like a broken record. The Bruins have had success recruiting notable athletes but the opportunities haven’t always been there for them. UCLA is still depending on homegrown or returning talent and that’s pretty evident when you look at their new lineup.
The first big thing to note is the importance of Kusturica. We don’t know exactly what he’s going to bring to the table, especially at just 17 years old, but he really showed out at the international level and could be a star in the near future. Speaking of additions, Petty could also be quite the steal for the Bruins if his game takes that next step into his sophomore year.
Dailey is back again and remains a reliable piece in the frontcourt, though the Bruins would love even more production from Booker at the 5. They’ve bolstered the depth behind them and have to be excited for what new players like Jovic and Macura could bring to the table. With that being said, expect big things from Booker this season, now with a whole year in this system under his belt.
We didn’t mention Perry and his importance while running the point or some of those other new additions, but you likely get the picture that there’s a lot of good in this UCLA lineup. The Bruins on paper look like a team that can contend in the Big Ten though there are still those major question marks. Can they handle all of those long road trips in conference play and still be a consistent winner? Does Kusturica live up to the immense hype or will someone else emerge as a star for these Bruins?
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