Why UCLA's Perry Has Big Shoes To Fill Next Season

Going into the season, the Bruins were relying heavily on their transfer from the New Mexico Lobos, a guard named Donovan Dent, to lead them into the year and come out with a deep tournament run before he would have to leave again.

Dent did well in his newfound role at UCLA, leading them to a similar record to the year before, almost reaching the Big Ten tournament championship game without their best player, Tyler Bilodeau, and giving the team a shot at upsetting 2-seed UConn in the Round of 32.

Trent Perry, UCLA — Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) shoots the ball against the UConn Huskies in the second 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

However, he will be leaving the Bruins in the upcoming season for bigger things and bigger leagues, which leaves Trent Perry, his predecessor, behind to take over, and he has some big shoes to fill.

Signs That Say Trent Perry Can Fill Dent's Role

Over the course of the season, Perry had many opportunities to impress head coach Mick Cronin and Bruins fans across the nation, and on many occasions, he lived up to the moment.

He went from being a bench player with minimal time to a key piece of the Bruins' starting lineup, becoming a force to be reckoned with alongside Skyy Clark, who had the capability to blow every game up offensively.

When he was on fire, the team was unstoppable, his contributions greatly helping the team upset Purdue, Illinois, and Michigan State.

With Dent heading out, he will be the piece that leads every comeback victory and upset, and with how often he has done it before, his role should be exciting, but there have also been times when he's fallen flat.

Signs That Say Trent Perry Has Some Things To Work On

While Perry has lived up to the moment many times, he has also struggled under the brightest lights, the best example being the second round of the March Madness tournament, when he shot 2-8 overall and 0-2 from beyond the arc.

Had he made more of his shots, the team would have had a fighting chance and could have given his teammates the momentum and confidence boost they needed to make some shots of their own, as the bench missed all of theirs.

His role as a leader could have been huge, but now, with the experience behind him, he will need to grow in his leadership so that next year's March Madness tournament ends up with better results than this year's.