Welcome to “Big Ten offseason at a glance,” a team-by-team look at the conference at the start of the summer. We’ll examine roster movement for each Big Ten roster and give an early outlook for each Big Ten program for the 2025-26 season.
Previously: Rutgers, Penn State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Washington, Oregon, Nebraska, Maryland, Iowa, Wisconsin, USC, Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois
Today: UCLA (23-11 overall in 2024-25, 13-7 in Big Ten play)
It took Mick Cronin’s UCLA squad some time to get acclimated, but the team ultimately produced a solid season. Bogged down by a four-game slide to start Big Ten play in January, the Bruins bounced back to finish in a tie for fourth in the conference. After an early exit in the Big Ten tournament, UCLA cruised past Utah State as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament before ending the season in a nine-point loss to Tennessee.
UCLA’s roster movement
Players returning with eligibility: Skyy Clark, Eric Dailey Jr., Tyler Bilodeau, Trent Perry, Brandon Williams, Eric Freeney
Players departing due to exhausted eligibility: Lazar Stefanovic, Kobe Johnson
Players departing via transfer portal: Aday Mara (to Michigan), Sebastian Mack (to Missouri), Dylan Andrews (to Boise State), William Kyle III (to Syracuse), Devin Williams (to Florida Atlantic), Dominick Harris (to Loyola-Chicago)
Players arriving via transfer portal: Donovan Dent (from New Mexico), Xavier Booker (from Michigan State), Steven Jamerson II (from San Diego), Jamar Brown (from Kansas City), Anthony Peoples Jr. (from NC Central)
Players arriving from high school: none
Who needs a high schooler, anyway? The Bruins have one of the best returning groups in the conference – rated fourth in the Big Ten in Bart Torvik’s returning possession minutes – and filled the rest of the void through the portal. All-Big Ten third-teamer Tyler Bilodeau is the best Bruin returning to LA and incomer Donovan Dent is one of the top transfers in the country – 247Sports rates him as the fourth-best portal prospect. Xavier Booker is another key addition, as he hopes to realize his five-star potential he couldn’t at Michigan State. UCLA still has two available scholarships.
What to like about UCLA
Dent is good enough to get his own blurb. Last year’s Mountain West player of the year averaged 20.4 points, 6.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game on 49 percent shooting and 40.9 percent from deep. His talent shows enough to be one of the few to dismiss any questions of his game transferring from the mid-major to high-major level. He can compete for the Big Ten player of the year and will command UCLA’s offense.
Bilodeau, Clark and Dailey Jr. were three of the Bruins’ top four leading scorers last year and with Dent and even a potentially upgraded Booker in the mix, UCLA will have one of the best offenses in the country. There’s a good mix of shooting and inside scoring and the returning trio already know Cronin’s system. UCLA ranks in Bart Torvik’s top-10 in adjusted offensive efficiency.
Cronin is a really good coach who gets his teams to play tough, passionate and together. He’s also the kind of coach you can expect to improve after a year of Big Ten experience. His roster is very talented and he tends to do well with that privilege.
What to question with UCLA
The bench depth of this roster is a bit iffy. Jamerson II and Brown produced good numbers last year at their respective schools, but they aren’t Dent-level prospects and their replicability in the Big Ten is rightfully questionable. Perry is a former McDonald’s All-American with potential, but that can be hard to fulfill still in a bench role.
With two scholarships open, there’s still a hole or two to fill. Another wing and big is probably needed for more depth at those positions.
UCLA’s outlook for the 2025-26 season
Home: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers
Away: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Oregon, USC, Washington
Bart Torvik projects the Bruins third in the Big Ten and inside the top-10 nationally. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi forecasts UCLA to receive a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Mick Cronin’s seventh team in Los Angeles may be his best one yet. The Bruins are lethal all around, have one of the best players in the country and look to contend at the highest level. UCLA is capable of a Big Ten championship and deep run in March.
Category: Commentary
Filed to: 2025-26 Big Ten preview, UCLA Bruins
