Feb 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins forward William Kyle III (24), guard Kobe Johnson (0), guard Lazar Stefanovic (10) and guard Skyy Clark (55) on the court after a basket in the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Bruins Require Big Man to Complete Starting Five

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated Mar 31, 2025 10:31 AM ET

The UCLA Bruins just picked up arguably the best transfer portal guard in senior Donovan Dent, coming over from three seasons with the New Mexico Lobos. They have acquired their elite scoring point guard, but will require another big man to help complete a strong starting lineup for next year.

Following Dent's transfer announcement, last Friday night, Bruins sophomore guard Sebastian Mack hit the portal just one day later. That is a major loss for the Bruins, but Mack's playing time would have decreased with Dent's presence. That is the least of their worries with not much size.

Bruins junior forward William Kyle III is leaving Westwood after just one season, downsizing the roster and leaving junior forward Tyler Bilodeau and sophomore center Aday Mara to man the post. If UCLA wants to be a top team in the country next season, they will need another veteran guy down low.

At the juncture of the offseason, you can make an assumption that the Bruins' starting five would look something like this.

Dent at the point guard position - senior Skyy Clark at shooting guard - junior Eric Dailey Jr. at small forward - Bilodeau at power forward - the starting center position may go to Mara, who's fate at UCLA is still uncertain.

Mara would be the choice at center for a season opening contest, but because he has not confirmed or denied that he will be returning next season, the Bruins cannot take any chances of waiting around for his decision. They must get aggressive once again, hunting down a strong post player.

With how the transfer portal has changed over the past year or so, there is a multitude of talent for the Bruins to market towards. A great selling point would be not only the campus and geographical location, but the fact that the Bruins just sealed the deal with Dent, one of the nation's top guards.

The portal closes on Tuesday, April 22, giving the Bruins more than enough time to find themselves a big man. Even if they do retain Mara for next season, he is still a budding product for this team that may need to continue easing into his role before taking on a full load of a starting center for UCLA.

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This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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