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Bruins Nation Reacts to Nikola Kusturica’s Brilliant Performance over North Florida

Nikola Kusturica may be the best player in the country.
Kade Nix|
Nov 6, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Nikola Kusturica (17) shoots a three-point basket in the first half against the North Florida Ospreys at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Nov 6, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Nikola Kusturica (17) shoots a three-point basket in the first half against the North Florida Ospreys at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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UCLA Bruins

Through two games of the college basketball season, UCLA looks like one of the best teams in the country. They followed up a wire-to-wire win over Arizona with a complete domination over North Florida in a game that actually started out interesting in the first handful of minutes.

North Florida actually hung with UCLA for quite a few minutes in the first half, but once UCLA dialed it up to spark a 35-2 (!) run to end the first twenty minutes, it was all UCLA from there.

Fans can take away quite a few things from the action, but freshman superstar Nikola Kusturica was the highlight of the night for the Bruins.

Nikola Kusturica’s First Half

Kusturica had one of the best first halves I've seen in college basketball, with 26 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal, while shooting perfectly from the field, going 9-for-9 in the first 20 minutes.

Fans were quick to chime in on X regarding the Serbian superstar's performance, and they're not shy about labeling him as the best player in the country. He has even gotten early looks as one of the best Bruins to ever be at the program. Considering UCLA's history, that is not by any means a small compliment.

UCLA Looks Like One of the Best Teams in the Country

The Bruins displayed their elite ability on both ends of the court, as the offense scored 114 points while shooting 54.3% from the field and 48.3% from deep.

UCLA's defense also showed its elite ability as it held North Florida to just 20 points in the first half before ultimately taking its foot off the brake after gaining such a lead in the second.

Joe Philon Becoming a Star?

Along with Kusturica’s fantastic performance, freshman Joe Philon also seems to be an emerging star on this UCLA team. Coming off the bench, Philon has been a major spark for both the UCLA offense and defense, as he is a true all-around player, similar to Kusturica.

In 20 minutes, Philon put up 17 points on 85.7% shooting from the field, grabbed three rebounds, and five steals, thus highlighting his importance on both ends of the court. Fans made sure to give Philon his flowers as well, as he continues to be effective for UCLA.

Overall, fans have every right to be excited about this team as they continue to dominate on both ends of the court, looking early like one of the best teams in the country.

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Kade Nix
KADE NIX

Kade Nix is the UCLA Beat Writer On SI and a member of the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). He specializes in college basketball coverage, with a statistical, analytics-driven approach to reporting, providing readers with in-depth analysis of recruiting, roster construction, player development, and the evolving college sports landscape.