Why Next Season's Success for UCLA Falls on Trent Perry

Here is why Trent Perry has to exceed expectations.

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) shoots the ball in the second 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

The Bruins have hit this offseason hard, but there is still a glaring issue that has not been addressed.

The Bruins have been able to bring in a lot of players to fix last season’s issues — rebounding, defense, consistency, you name it. But they have not done much to figure out how to fill the scoring void left by Tyler Bilodeau and Donovan Dent.

UCLA's Lack of Offense Is Unsettling

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) shoots the ball against the UCF Knights 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

Because of this lack of offensive aggression this offseason, UCLA now turns to junior Trent Perry, a player who had one of the best up-and-coming stories last season. Perry started the season on the bench, but he grew into UCLA’s third-leading scorer by the end of the year.

Because of that development, it can be inferred that Perry will take another step now that there are fewer offensive threats on UCLA. This is not a slight to the rest of the rotation, but if they were able to cover the void that Bilodeau and Dent left, this article wouldn’t even need to be written.

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent (2) dribbles there ball against the UCLA Bruins 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

With UCLA losing over 30 points per game from Dent and Bilodeau, Perry needs to exceed expectations. On paper, that looks like around 18-plus points per game while being near the six assists per game mark by the end of the season — a very tall task.

What Needs To Happen

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins forward Eric Dailey Jr. (3) and guard Trent Perry (0) react 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

For that to happen, two things need to be established early. First, Perry’s role has to be clear. He needs to decide whether he will be a pass-first guard or a guard whose primary impact comes from scoring. Establishing this early will allow Perry to focus on his strengths throughout the season.

Second, Perry needs to develop strong chemistry with Eric Dailey Jr. Not only is he arguably UCLA’s second-best player, but his skill set could translate into exactly what Perry needs to succeed.

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) reacts after defeating the UCF Knights 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

If Eric Dailey Jr. can prove to be an offensive threat, it will change how teams defend UCLA. If Perry heats up, most of the attention will be on him. But if Dailey Jr. is unable to make himself relevant, Perry’s impact will go down significantly.

Mar 19, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin speaks with the media before a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The bottom line is that Trent Perry is a phenomenal player, but if he fails to exceed expectations next season, UCLA will be in a very bad spot, considering all the offense they lost this offseason. Hopefully, he can reach new heights next season.