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UCLA Bruins guard Skyy Clark (55) rushes up the court against Wisconsin Badgers guard Kamari McGee (4) on Friday, March 14, 2025, during the third round of the men's Big Ten tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

UCLA’s 3 Most Crucial Players for 2025-26 Season

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Connor Moreno | Last updated Nov 2, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The UCLA Bruins enter the 2025-26 college basketball season as the No. 12 team in the nation, and the stakes couldn't be any higher for Mick Cronin and his squad after an offseason of retooling.

Headlined by the transfer portal addition of reigning Mountain West Player of the Year Donovan Dent, Cronin's Bruins have a higher ceiling and eyes on a deeper run in March.

Dent wasn't the only addition. UCLA tapped into the portal to bolster a squad of returners with improvements along the margins. Every player is important to a successful postseason run, but let's dive into the three who absolutely need to be the difference.

1. Donovan Dent | Senior | PG

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

This one is a given. In fact, the Bruins wouldn't even be in many of these converstions if it weren't for what many are regarding as the biggest portal addition of the offseason.

Dent is coming off a season with the Lobos where he averaged 20.4 points and 6.4 assists per game, displaying elite scoring and playmaking abilities.

Cronin has never had a talent like Dent, and the senior guard's skillset is sure to make UCLA's offense vastly more versatile. The Bruins' ceiling is going to be as high as Dent makes it.

2. Xavier Booker | Junior | Center

Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Xavier Booker, a transfer forward from Michigan State, is going through a change to the center position under Cronin in Westwood.

If Cronin's plan to play him next to star forward Tyler Bilodeau in the frontcourt pans out, it only makes UCLA more dynamic on both sides of the floor.

It's going to be a process, though. The 6-foot-11 big man has been learning to play the position all offseason. Booker averaged 4.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game on 41.7% shooting from the field and 27.3% from deep with the Spartans last season.

Booker is going to be tasked with expanding his role as a rebounder and a more efficient 3-point shooter if his fit at the five is truly going to work. It's a long season, which gives UCLA's heralded big man time to settle in.

3. Skyy Clark | Senior | Guard

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The Bruins may have one of the best backcourts in the nation when it's all said and done. Dent's impact won't be nearly is meaningful without the production of returning Bruins Skyy Clark.

Clark is coming off a truly turbulent season, with its highs and lows, but the senior guard is ready to bounce back this season alongside one of the best point guards in the nation.

Clark posted 8.5 points, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 45.8% from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc.

Not only will his production be necessary while sharing the court with Dent, but when the two creating guards split time on the floor, Clark will be tasked with orchestrating the offense on his own.

The Bruins open the season against Easter Washington on Monday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m. PT in Pauley Pavilion.

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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