UCLA's Eric Dailey Jr. Has Golden Opportunity In March

Eric Dailey Jr. has been great for UCLA this year, but he could become a star in March Madness.

Mar 14, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Gicarri Harris (24) defends UCLA Bruins forward Eric Dailey Jr. (3) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Bruins are a seven seed in the March Madness Tournament, seeking to make a deep run and rival the excellence they had in 2021 when they made the Final Four.

To do so, sparks will have to fly, and people will have to step up, whether it be starters who have the most impact on the court or the bench players who have fewer minutes but a great opportunity to alter games.

Michigan State center Carson Cooper (15) goes to the basket against UCLA guard Trent Perry (0) and forward Eric Dailey Jr. (3) during the first half of Big Ten tournament quarterfinal at United Center in Chicago on Friday, March 13, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This includes Eric Dailey Jr. to the greatest degree, as he has a chance to leap from good starter to great star with the Bruins, and March Madness is a golden opportunity for him to step up once more after his play in the Big Ten Tournament.

Where Eric Dailey Jr. Has Stepped Up Before

Mar 13, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Eric Dailey Jr. (3) battles for the ball with Michigan State Spartans forward Jesse McCulloch (35) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

• The Bruins have already gotten a taste of all the good and bad that could come in the March Madness Tournament through their play in the Big Ten Tournament, where players were sent out of games, and others rose above the odds to upset teams like MSU.

• Dailey Jr. was one of the players who had to step up, as both Tyler Bilodeau and Donovan Dent were out of the game with minor injuries, leaving him as one of the three original starters still on the court.

Mar 13, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Eric Dailey Jr. (3) shoots a free throw against the Michigan State Spartans during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

• He had big shoes to fill, and he filled them well, averaging around 11 points a game, two assists, and almost two steals on top of eight rebounds a game.

• With two of UCLA's bona fide stars out of the game, he did great filling their roles, and he was an instrumental part of what allowed UCLA to almost make the championship, but now he is heading to a bigger tournament with bigger opportunities.

What Eric Dailey Jr. Could Do in March Madness

Mar 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Eric Dailey Jr. (3) and forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) celebrate against the Southern California Trojans in the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

• In the big dance, Dailey Jr. could catch the eyes of scouts by keeping up his numbers even when his teammates are back on the court after their injuries.

• He can keep crashing the glass and getting rebounds despite having big man Bilodeau back in the line-up, and he can keep on spreading the ball out despite having Dent on the court.

Mar 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) chest dumps teammate Eric Dailey Jr. (3) after hitting a 3-point shot during the second} half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

• Should he continue playing well, especially on defense with stealing the ball, the Bruins will have the potential to make a final four run as they did in 2021, and he could be the one credited for much of the success.