Where UCLA Sits in Latest Top 101 Basketball Team Rankings

The UCLA Bruins men's basketball team enters the 2025-26 season as the No. 12 team in the nation, but many national outlets feel the coaches and media are too high on Mick Cronin's bolstered Bruins.

CBS Sports senior writer Matt Norlander ranked the 101 best teams in college basketball ahead of the season, and he is yet another insider who feels the Bruins' top 12 rating is a bit too generous, considering where he placed UCLA in his personal rankings.

Norlander ranked UCLA as the 18th team in college football. Here's what he had to say:

"Hoo, I tell you, the top 20 this season looks especially deep heading into Week 1. You can build out a case for the Bruins to be top-12 status, after all. Mick Cronin's style combined with Donovan Dent's speed and savviness might make for one of the better team-ups between first-time coach-and-player combos this season. Dent, a 6-footer, is both fast and great at playing through contact (he had 31 And-1s last season, per CBB Analytics). His averages at New Mexico: 20.4 points, 6.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 41% 3-point shooter.

"Dent can absolutely fly and Cronin's never had someone like him before; he might be the most valuable transfer in 2025-26. The fact he joins a team with really nice returning pieces like Tyler Bilodeau, Eric Dailey Jr. and Skyy Clark makes UCLA a fun Big Ten dark horse. UCLA's depth is up for debate but the starting five's viability is not. And one more bonus: We won't hear any gripes from Cronin about travel this year either: UCLA literally does not play a game east of Los Angeles in the nonconference."

ucl — Mar 23, 2025; Cleveland, OH, USA; New Mexico Lobos guard Donovan Dent (2) dribbles in the first half against the Michigan State Spartans during the NCAA Tournament Second Round at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Overrated, underrated or even properly rated, the Bruins will look to break through last season's ceiling. The Dent addition will certainly help, plus the rise of Skyy Clark alongside the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year in UCLA's backcourt.

Clark Impressing Coaches With Elite Preseason Form

ucl — Mar 20, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) celebrates after a three pointer during the first half against the Utah State Aggies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

College basketball insider for CBS Sports, Jon Rothstein, reported that his phone has been blowing up with Clark's name at the forefront.

"Highly placed spies in Westwood continue to send word that Skyy Clark is playing at an elite level for UCLA," Rothstein said in an X (formerly Twitter) post. "Averaged 10.5 PPG and shot 50% from 3 in the Bruins' final 17 games of last season. And that came without a PG like Donovan Dent."

Mixing a potential leap for Clark this year with the Dent addition means the Bruins may be in store for a real quality season. UCLA is already pegged as the No. 12 team on the official preseason AP Top 25 poll.

ucl — Mar 22, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

UCLA plays its second and final preseason exhibition game against UC Irvine in Pauley Pavilion on Tuesday at 7 p.m. PT.

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Clark Impressing Coaches With Elite Preseason Form

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