Tier Ranking Every Opponent on UCLA's Basketball Schedule

These should all be tallies in UCLA's win column, and if they aren’t, something has gone terribly wrong. The interesting thing about these games on the schedule is that they all offer a sort of “cool-down” period after a major test.

North Florida, Long Beach State, and CSFU are the next three games after the opener against Arizona; Quinnipiac and UC Riverside follow shortly after playing Gonzaga.

Tier 5: San Diego State, Washington, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers

As we move up in competition, we’re still not quite at the level where UCLA should be tested a ton. While each of these teams certainly has talent somewhere on their roster, they have either had major turnover (like SDSU) or just didn’t have a powerful, cohesive roster to begin with.

For the Big Ten teams in this tier, you can comfortably expect them to be at the bottom of the conference standings.

Tier 4: Oregon, Iowa, Maryland, Saint Mary’s

Here we’ve begun to get to the teams that could give UCLA some trouble. UCLA has a very talented, cohesive roster, so I expect them to make it through each of these games alive, but it won’t be as easy as against the previous opponents.

UCLA will play Oregon twice this season, both at home and on the road; Iowa will come at the very end of a difficult stretch, and if the Bruins aren’t ready, that could be a game worth watching.

The Bruins will play Saint Mary’s in an MTE, with Georgetown or Texas ready to play the winner. I haven’t included the Hoyas or the Longhorns in this list, just because it isn’t a confirmed matchup, though it would very likely be Texas.

Tier 3: Ohio State, Nebraska, Indiana, Wisconsin

This is the tier where the competition jumps the most, in my opinion. I'd still favor the Bruins in each of these matchups, but it won’t come easy. Nebraska has some key returners that may make life difficult for the Bruins, and Ohio State and Indiana seem to be getting better each year.

Tier 2: Gonzaga, USC, Purdue

This is where things get even tougher. Gonzaga will always have a competitive team, and UCLA has the privilege of playing them on a neutral field close to home in Anaheim. UCLA will play USC twice this season, which should be some of the best duels in the Big Ten. USC has bolstered its roster a lot this offseason and placed itself in serious conversations with the elite in the Big Ten.

Purdue may regress this season from its recent standard, but it’s always tough to play at Mackey Arena.

Tier 1: Arizona, Illinois, Michigan State, Michigan

The cream of the crop in college basketball. These are the four toughest games on UCLA’s schedule, without a doubt. Three of the four made the Final Four last season, and Michigan State brought back arguably the best point guard in the nation, Jeremy Fears Jr.

The Bruins have a tough season ahead of them, but I believe they have the talent to make a splash.