UCLA Unveils 2025-26 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Schedule

UCLA Highly Regarded in Early MBB Top 25

The season may be a ways away, but UCLA's potential entering the 2025-26 men's basketball season is undeniable.

A transfer portal headlined by the addition of New Mexico point guard Donovan Dent makes Mick Cronin's Bruins one of the best teams to watch this year. ESPN sure thinks so.

Jeff Borzello, ESPN basketball recruiting insider, listed his early men's NCAA basketball Top 25 rankings, and has UCLA ranked 15th overall. He turned to the addition of Dent as the catalyst and projected him as the most likely Bruin to win a national award thi season.

• "UCLA entered the offseason knowing it needed to upgrade its perimeter playmaking, and it landed an elite point guard in Dent," Borzello wrote. "He averaged 20.4 points at New Mexico last season, earning Mountain West Player of the Year honors. His usage rate might drop with the Bruins because he's surrounded by more talent, but he'll remain among the best point guards in America."

Cronin has never had a talent quite like Dent, and it's evident that the craft guard is going to reshape his offense.

Dent detailed how he plans on fitting in the system.

"We knew that last year they didn't really have that at the point guard position," Dent said during an August media availability. "When [Cronin] called me, he knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted to play faster, because that's how his defense is. His defense creates faster offense, so he felt like I could fit right into that system. He just needed someone he could trust with the ball in their hand.

"I felt like that's what I could bring to the table, and we talked about that. We talked about playing a lot in the pick-and-rolls, and he's been doing that a lot in practice. So I'm excited to see what we're going to get going during the season."