What UCLA's Shrinking 2027 Recruiting Board Could Signal

UCLA has had a few players visit the program, yet they have chosen or will likely choose another program.

4-star shooting guard Justin Wise committed to Georgia in early August after unofficially visiting UCLA during the summer. 4-star Jason Gardner Jr. committed to Auburn after visiting back in January.

Even players who scheduled a visit with UCLA didn’t make it to the scheduled date without committing somewhere else.

The Bruins locked in a visit from Micah Gordon for Oct. 9, but the 4-star point guard has already committed to Creighton after visiting the school in early September. The same is true of point guard Antonio Pemberton, ranked 20th in the class of 2027 via 247Sports, who committed to Michigan State ahead of his scheduled visit to UCLA on Oct. 23.

Does UCLA Need To Land Recruits?

Plenty of recruits still have lots of time on their timelines, but it’s not encouraging to see such a lack of movement from Mick Cronin in the recruiting game. While other coaches and schools have seemingly been active so far, Cronin and the Bruins have had a pretty quiet offseason.

However, in today's college basketball landscape, missing out on recruits isn’t a death blow like it used to be. Cronin could realistically build his entire team in the transfer portal and overseas, much like his current roster. We’re seeing more coaches prioritize international talent and experienced veterans in the transfer portal, and it could soon become the norm for UCLA basketball.

It may be unconventional for now, but it could slowly become normal as the years go on. Veterans in college basketball are usually a safer option for college coaches, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see UCLA potentially take a backseat in the typical recruiting game compared to years prior. Some coaches are taking that approach.