UCLA Basketball's Last Two Seasons Illustrate 2026-27 Floor

UCLA is tied for the fifth-best record in the Big 10 over the past two seasons, per Bruins legend and current writer Kris Johnson. The Bruins have 26 wins and 14 losses over the past two seasons in the Big 10, per Johnson. UCLA has gradually regressed in the NCAA Tournament under Mick Cronin.

Cronin has 162 wins and 76 losses for a .681 winning percentage in seven seasons at UCLA. In five seasons in the PAC-12 under Cronin before joining the Big 10, UCLA had 68 wins and 29 losses. Joining the Big 10 was a significant step up in competition for UCLA.

Big Ten men's basketball, combined conference record over the last two seasons. pic.twitter.com/WubBHR3KTC
— Kris Johnson (@krisjohnsonlive) July 15, 2026

UCLA in the Final Years of the PAC-12

Arizona and UCLA were consistently the two most dominant programs in the PAC-12 from 1986 until the conference as we knew it died in 2024. UCLA won its last PAC-12 regular-season title with 31 wins and six losses overall and 18 victories and two defeats in the conference in 2023.

UCLA finished with 19 wins and 12 losses and 12 victories with six defeats in Cronin's first season in 2019-20 before COVID-19 canceled the NCAA Tournament. UCLA was projected as a 12-seed in the First Four of the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

Rothstein has UCLA MBB as the 5th best in the Big Ten. Do you agree? https://t.co/QI0D15t53x
— Mike Regalado 🏀🏈🎧 (@MikeRegaladoLA) July 15, 2026

The Bruins won 22 games and lost 10, with 13 victories and six defeats in the PAC-12, during the 2020-21 season. After being projected for the First Four in 2020, the Bruins advanced out of that round in the 2021 NCAA Tournament and made it to the Final Four before losing on a Jalen Suggs half-court shot to Gonzaga.

Cronin's Pinnacle Was in First Year With UCLA

UCLA reached its NCAA Tournament pinnacle under Cronin in his first postseason with the Bruins. The past four seasons have been two two-year cycles with one subpar year in between. UCLA won 54 games and lost 14 overall and had 33 victories and seven defeats in the PAC-12 in the two regular seasons after the 2021 Final Four appearance.

It can't be understated how much of a win Nikola Kusturica's commitment is for #UCLA coach Mick Cronin.

Cronin has his flaws, and certainly hasn't reached the heights Bruins' fans expect recently, but he led a successful recruiting charge for a potential No. 1 NBA Draft…
— Aaron Heisen (@aaron_heisen) July 10, 2026

UCLA advanced to the regional semifinals in each of those two seasons. The Bruins had their only losing season under Cronin in 2023-24 during their final year in the PAC-12. UCLA finished with 16 wins and 17 losses overall and 10 victories and 10 defeats during the 2023-24 season.

The Bruins have made only slight progress over the past two seasons. UCLA has combined for 47 wins and 23 losses over the past two seasons, with 13 victories and seven defeats in the Big 10 in each of those years. The Bruins have lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons.

Mike Regalado of Bruins247 noted that Cronin's 63-40 record for a 61.2 overall winning percentage ranks ninth among Big 10 coaches over the past three seasons. Notably, Ben McCollum of Iowa, Darian DeVries of Indiana, and Nico Medved of Minnesota, who have better winning percentages than Cronin, inflated their records with mid-major programs before being hired to coach in the Big 10.

2026-27 Could Be Make-or-Break Season for Mick Cronin

Consecutive NCAA Tournament second-round appearances for UCLA in the past two seasons are not up to the program's standards or the expectations of the fan base. With the talent on the 2026-27 UCLA roster, a run to the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals should be the floor for expectations next season.

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