Dailey Has Opportunity to Shine in Second Season With UCLA

The UCLA Bruins have had a few key members depart to the transfer portal, giving Eric Dailey Jr. the chance to shine in his junior year with the program.

Mar 20, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Eric Dailey Jr. (3) drives to the basket against Utah State Aggies guard Dexter Akanno (7) during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

With all the moving pieces since the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament, the UCLA Bruins have a chance to take a step back and assess their needs and goals going into their second season as a part of the Big Ten conference.

After a strong first impression to the competition, the Bruins need to produce more if they want to be a fear organization going forward. Last season, they shined on defense, as their offensive woes led to most of their defeats. Given all the moves that have happened already regarding the transfer portal, UCLA needs someone to step up.

One current Bruin who could easily see a strong season going into the new campaign comes in the form of forward Eric Dailey Jr. Dailey was an early consistent part of the program before he became streaky after injury. But now, as an upperclassman, perhaps his production will take a giant leap forward.

Last season, Dailey was the Bruins' second leading scorer as he averaged 11.4 points per game. He started in all of the 33 games he played and averaged 23.6 minutes of playing time. He was a strong rebounder at his position, averaging four rebounds per game to go along with his double-digit points average.

Dailey shot a tad over 50% from the field and was ranked third in the program in that statistic. The two ahead of him are both no longer with UCLA, as they've taken their talents elsewhere. That gives Dailey the extra chance to get himself going right away into the new season, giving UCLA its two-headed monster on offense.

The other monster head in this scenario is Tyler Bilodeau, who has confirmed he is returning to UCLA next season. He was a reliable piece and seemed to make Dailey play better when they shared the court.

While Dailey hasn't fully committed to another season with the UCLA program, he has gone on record saying he wants to come back.

Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times reported the following last month:

"Eric Dailey Jr., asked if he wants to come back next season: 'Yeah, for sure. I want to come [back] here and make a run, make a name with these guys. That’s my goal."

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI and @tcav30 and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.