UCLA men's basketball moves up Sports Illustrated's Top 25 after summer reset

The buzz the Bruins had back in the spring still hasn't faded.

UCLA men's basketball moved up one spot in the latest iteration of Sports Illustrated's Top 25 Reset, coming in at No. 4 in the country. The Bruins were No. 5 in the April edition of the rankings, but the return of guard Johnny Juzang and forward Cody Riley and the addition of Rutgers transfer big man Myles Johnson was enough for them to climb further into the top five.

Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney had this to say about UCLA's prospects this season with a little over three months to go until the campaign gets underway:

It’s understandable to wonder how fluky the Bruins’ dream run to the Final Four was last season. It’s certainly true that UCLA had some positive jump-shooting luck through its run, and the Bruins were on the verge of bowing out in the First Four to Michigan State before a furious late comeback. But UCLA isn’t just a team running it back. The nucleus of Johnny Juzang, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell returns, but the Bruins also make two high-impact additions in top transfer Myles Johnson (Rutgers) and five-star freshman Peyton Watson.

Johnson and Watson have the potential to transform a defense that was pedestrian last season: Johnson with his ability to protect the rim and Watson with his athleticism, length and energy on the wing. Significant defensive improvement paired with the deadly Juzang/Jaquez duo on the offensive end gives Mick Cronin’s club a strong chance to get back to the Final Four, and this time maybe even win it all.

Sweeney is right to point out the discrepancy between the Bruins' offensive and defensive performances in the 2020-2021 season. UCLA finished the tournament with the No. 11 offense in the country, while its defense came in at No. 46 in the KenPom – essentially the opposite of what is expected out of a coach Mick Cronin team.

The offense is getting all of its main contributors back next season, so they don't project to slip much on that end of the floor. The defense, on the other hand, is positioned to improve drastically thanks to the additions Sweeney mentioned above.

Johnson made the Big Ten All-Defensive Team with the Scarlet Knights last year, hauling in 8.5 boards per game in addition to 2.4 blocks per game and a 92.2 defensive rating. Watson has good size and length on the wing and made several defensive highlights for Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Cup in early July.

Even incoming four-star guard Will McClendon comes to Westwood with a reputation as a versatile, physical and willing defensive player.

Returning every player who scored a point during a Final Four run and bolstering the lineup with top recruits and defensive stalwarts is a recipe for success, thus the jump in SI.com's rankings. Gonzaga stayed put at No. 1, while Michigan, Ohio State and Duke all tumbled out of the top five.

A coaching change and ensuing moves catapulted Texas from unranked to No. 2, and Kansas slid up to No. 3 thanks to some success in the transfer portal.

Utah transfer Timmy Allen's decision to suit up for the Longhorns helped them take a major leap, alongside their signing of former Texas Tech coach Chris Beard. Kansas added a top Pac-12 transfer of its own in former Arizona State guard Remy Martin.

Allen and Martin may not be able to torment the Bruins in conference play anymore, but they somehow keep finding ways to best UCLA even in the offseason.

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