Bruins' Trent Perry Expected for a Bigger Role in 2026

At UCLA, one player doesn't make the team, but the right team certainly makes the player.

That's been the case for Trent Perry, a former McDonald's All-American, building his game within coach Mick Cronin's defense-first culture.

The Bruins come into this upcoming season with massive expectations. They brought in key players in the transfer portal like Donovan Dent and Xavier Booker. Along the way, they've also retained their best players from last season, such as Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey.

Perry fits right into the Mick Cronin mold — a skill guy who knows the value of hard work off the ball.

Sure, his 3.7 points and 1.7 rebounds per game aren’t eye-popping, but the foundation is there.

Perry is a low-volume shooter who can hit a 3-pointer when called upon, converting at a 34% clip from deep. He also ranked second on the team in free throw percentage, hitting 86% of his attempts.

Cronin hasn’t been shy with his praise for the rising sophomore.

He's a notoriously tough coach to earn praise from — especially if you don't defend. After a February win against Indiana, Perry finished with seven points and three rebounds, but Cronin saw the kind of impact the freshman could make once March arrived.

"He's a guy that's a really good player that can be a huge factor for us," Cronin said. "Because his off-the-ball defense and his intelligence is great, getting him to be a factor for us, because he's got it in him, is something that could really really help us in March."

As a freshman without a guaranteed role, there's nothing more meaningful than that kind of public endorsement.

Cronin added: "He can’t possibly have a better attitude. He could get one shot, and he never stops talking, never stops hustling, always in the right spot. That kid’s going to be a great player — he’s a winner.”

The type of player that helps teams win.

In 2025-26, Perry likely won't crack the starting five — which should feature Dent, Skyy Clark, Dailey, Bilodeau and Booker — but he could be a second-unit fixture who gets to the line, makes the extra pass, and hits an open shot when needed.

Perry certainly had reasons to explore the transfer portal, especially given his high-profile McDonald’s All-American status prior to the 2024-25 season. But that’s not the type of player he is. His mentality was praised all season, with the message being: stay locked in, embrace the role, and yours will come.

He's the kind of player teams yearn for when March comes around — smart, unselfish, defensively sound, and ready to do whatever it takes to win.

Regardless, a noticeable jump in Perry's sophomore season feels inevitable — even if it doesn't come with headlines.