UCLA Basketball Makes Top 3 for Five-Star Forward

One of the top prospects in the 2026 class named the Bruins in his top three schools.

Oct 9, 2025; Rosemont, IL, USA; UCLA head coach Mick Cronin speaks during Big Ten Men’s Basketball Media Days at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images | Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

UCLA and head coach Mick Cronin haven't been able to secure a commitment in the 2026 class quite yet, but they just got a lot closer to landing their first prospect. One of the top players in the country recently named the Bruins as one of his final three schools, as UCLA continues to make progress in his recruitment.

On November 2, Christian Collins, a five-star small forward from St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California, named UCLA in his top three.

Rivals' Joe Tipton announced Collins' top three on X, naming the Bruins alongside USC and Kentucky.

NEWS: 5⭐️ Christian Collins is down to three schools, he tells @Rivals:

Kentucky, USC, UCLA

The 6-8 small forward is a top-10 recruit in the 2026 class. https://t.co/85GnUxrj6U pic.twitter.com/PqOxeGFWDC

— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) November 2, 2025

The Bruins have been pursuing Collins throughout his recruitment, and especially in recent months. He took an official visit to Westwood on October 11 and has built a strong relationship with the UCLA staff.

Landing him would be a fantastic start to the 2026 recruiting cycle for the Bruins. Rivals' industry rankings list him as the No. 8 overall player in the class, the No. 3 small forward, and the No. 4 prospect from California.

St. John Bosco's Christian Collins (11) dribbles the ball while being guarded by Sandra Day O'Connor's Colton Watson (14) during the Nike Tournament of Champions at Highland High School Gym on Jan 2, 2025, in Gilbert, Ariz. | Cheryl Evans/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While UCLA is in a solid spot to land the 6'8" small forward, they still have to compete with USC and Kentucky, both of which also hosted Collins on official visits this fall. As of right now, Rivals puts the Trojans firmly in the driver's seat, giving them an 86.6% chance to land him. 

To make matters more difficult for the Bruins, Jamie Shaw, Rivals' senior national recruiting analyst recently logged a prediction for the Trojans to land him, giving his guess 55% confidence.

Dec 17, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; The UCLA Bruins logo at midcourt at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While none of that is good news for UCLA, it’s not the end of the world either. Collins hasn’t set a commitment date yet, so Cronin and his staff still have time to make up ground in the coming weeks and try to surpass the Trojans. 

Cronin opted only to bring in transfers in the 2025 recruiting cycle, so the Bruins need to add talented high school prospects in 2026. Securing a commitment from Collins would be a strong start, and being put in his top three gives them a chance to do so.

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