UCLA Has To Prove It's Worthy of Preseason Ranking

Despite what has been a strange offseason for the UCLA Bruins, some are higher on the team heading into the 2026-27 season than you may think.

Last season, the Bruins went 24-12 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. On paper, that sounds pretty good, but beneath that supposed success was a lot of inconsistency and unnecessary distractions that held the team back from hitting its full potential.

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

For starters, their biggest offseason pick-up was point guard Donovan Dent, a former Mountain West Player of the Year and a star point guard for New Mexico. Upon his arrival at UCLA, things didn’t go quite as smoothly as head coach Mick Cronin and his staff had hoped, as Dent had his worst collegiate season since his freshman season and struggled to find any consistency all year.

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) dribbles the ball against UCF Knights guard Chris Johnson (22) in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Dent Last Season

Despite some flashes of brilliance at times, Dent could never find his groove playing under Cronin. As such, Dent has recently opted to retire from basketball completely after his senior season at UCLA. He would’ve had plenty of opportunities to turn pro — whether in the NBA or elsewhere — and even had an additional year of eligibility remaining. Instead, Dent walks away from the game after a roller coaster college career.

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) reacts in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Additionally, head coach Mick Cronin couldn’t stay out of the headlines for most of the season. The worst instance was when he ejected Steven Jamerson from a game himself after a hard foul against Michigan State. Aside from that, the Bruins lost Dent and leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau this offseason and have been snubbed by a handful of top transfer portal talents.

Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Labaron Philon (0) dribbles the ball against Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Jaylen Petty (11) in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

UCLA’s Additions

However, they have brought in talented players such as Jaylen Petty and Filip Jovic this offseason, while also seeing the return of several underclassmen, including Trent Perry, Eric Dailey, and Xavier Booker. These three players were all key pieces to last year’s team, and figure to have very important roles once again next season. Despite losing some key players, the Bruins still have a very strong roster heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) reacts against the UConn Huskies in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The general public also feels the same way. In ESPN’s Jeff Borzello’s way-too-early Top 25 preseason rankings, he has the Bruins just outside the top 25. Last year, the Bruins began the season ranked in the AP Poll before their sluggish start caused them to slip out and never get back inside the rankings, but they’ll look to right the ship next season.

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