UCLA's 2026 Recruiting Board: Shooting Guards

UCLA men's basketball coach Mick Cronin hasn't typically operated outside of the transfer portal when looking to upgrade his squad in recent years, but that doesn't mean he isn't putting in work on the recruiting trail.

Bringing in talented freshmen is an integral part of developing sustained success in a basketball program. Cronin and the Bruins currently have 16 outgoing offers to recruits in the class of 2026. Let's break each of them down, moving on to the shooting guards.

Ikenna Alozie, 4-Star, Glendale (Ariz.) Dream City Christian

Alozie is one of the most highly-touted two guards in the nation and is the third-ranked prospect out of Arizona, fifth shooting guard and 20th prospect in the nation. He currently holds 26 offers but, according to 247Sports, is leaning towards Kansas, Alabama, Arizona, Gonzaga, Houston, Kentucky, Louisville and Washington.

Adam Finkelstein, director of scouting for 247Sports, evaluated Alozie last week. Here's what he had to say about the Arizona product:

"Alozie is a strong and athletic lead guard. He has elite burst with the ball in his hands, combining extreme speed and power to get downhill like few other guards in the country. He accelerates out of his moves off the dribble, can attack both sides, has a knack for attacking his defender’s back in transition, and is consistently able to drive through contact. He’s a threat to finish explosively above the rim or with touch and body control. He has solid positional size, long arms (6-6 wingspan), and plays even bigger than he is, often zipping passes over the defense.

"Alozie is going to have a much easier time than most incoming freshman adjusting to the physicality of the college game, but he’s closer to a finished product physically, so whatever untapped upside there is will have to come through the continued progression of his ball skills and mastering the nuances of the point guard position."

Cameron Holmes, 4-Star, Goodyear (Ariz.) Millennium

Holmes received an offer from the Bruins after showing out in June's Section 7 Basketball Team Camp. Holmes is 18th on ESPN's 2026 Top 100 and is the No. 2 prospect out of the state of Arizona. He has 16 offers and isn't leaning towards anyone just yet.