Projected UCLA Starting Lineup & Rotation vs. UCF

Here is what you can expect from UCLA against UCF.

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin reacts to a play against Michigan State 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

UCLA's starting lineup has fluctuated significantly throughout the season, but it seems like the Bruins have struck gold with this one in particular.

UCLA will need its best five on the court as much as possible against a very testy UCF team. This scenario would be ideal for UCLA, but the reality is that the Bruins are entering this game with two starters coming off injuries. This means we could see a fluctuation in minutes.

Starting Five

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 base starting five for UCLA looks like this: Donovan Dent, Trent Perry, and Skyy Clark at the guard positions. As for the frontcourt, Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey Jr. will get most of the minutes. If one thing is clear from this starting lineup, it is that UCLA likes to play fast.

Earlier, we mentioned how UCLA will have to adapt with Dent and Bilodeau both coming off injuries they sustained in the Big Ten Tournament. Both players have been cleared to play, but it could still affect how many minutes they actually see.

Mar 13, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) defends against Michigan State Spartans center Carson Cooper (15) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

This season, Bilodeau is averaging 30.2 minutes per game. This is a high mark for one of UCLA's key players and the player responsible for filling in at center for a team that often plays small ball. We should see Bilodeau surpass the 20-minute mark easily in this game.

Dent leads all Bruins in minutes played this season. On average, he is playing 34.2 minutes per game. Coming off an injury might reduce that number slightly, but expect at least 25 to 30 minutes from Dent in this matchup.

Bench Rotation

Mar 14, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Brandon Williams (5) dunks the ball against the Purdue Boilermakers during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

As for the bench rotation, UCLA does not necessarily like to rely heavily on its bench. However, as the season has progressed, the Bruins have started to use their bench more and more, meaning we could see an influx of players coming in and out of the lineup.

For example, guard Eric Freeny has played 16.2 minutes in UCLA's last five matchups. While it is unlikely that he gets this amount of minutes in the NCAA Tournament, we can expect at least 10 minutes, with Mick Cronin giving him extra time to allow Dent to rest.

Mar 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Freeny (8) and Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Rienk Mast (51) jockey for rebounding position during the 1st half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Brandon Williams has really stepped up at the five position. Listed as a guard, Williams has played the center role in the last five games, where he is averaging 15.4 minutes per outing. Like Freeny, he will be responsible for stepping in when UCLA needs relief in the rotation.

The rest of UCLA's bench has been relatively quiet recently. This seven-man rotation has worked well for UCLA, but if the situation calls for it, we have seen Cronin make on-the-fly decisions. That could mean appearances from players like Jamar Brown and Xavier Booker.