How UCLA Can Build More Offseason Hype

For starters, the word that keeps coming up is fragility. Right now, UCLA feels like a top-heavy team where one thing going wrong could send the season into a downward spiral. That concern is valid given how much the roster relies on a few key players.

Trent Perry and Eric Dailey Jr. are the only clear-cut stars on the roster. Xavier Booker is trending upward, but he has yet to prove he can sustain that level of play over a full season. If Perry and Dailey Jr. do not produce at a high level, UCLA’s ceiling drops quickly.

Another major issue is the center position. UCLA did not fully address it this offseason, which means the Bruins will likely rely on a patchwork solution throughout the 2026–27 season. That could force undersized players into roles that require size and physicality — something UCLA still lacks compared to top Big Ten teams.

Offensively, UCLA has not yet clearly defined its identity. While that will ultimately be determined once the season begins, the current roster lacks the proven high-level scorers it had last year in Donovan Dent and Tyler Bilodeau. That again puts added pressure on Perry and Dailey Jr. to carry the load.

How UCLA Can Change Its Fate

The path to changing that narrative is simple in theory: add elite talent and maximize the final two roster spots. In reality, with the portal slowing down, that is much easier said than done. Either way, UCLA must figure out how to position itself among the league's best.

Tounde Yessoufou was a name heavily linked to UCLA and would have been a perfect fit. His scoring ability could have addressed multiple concerns at once, but with his decision to stay in the draft, that opportunity is now gone. UCLA now needs to figure out how to find a player of his caliber instead.

The bottom line is that UCLA has had an okay offseason, but not one that demands national attention. Considering the Bruins were viewed as a top-12 team around this time last year, the drop in perception reflects both the roster turnover and the lack of a true headline addition.