College Basketball Preseason Rankings: No. 14 UCLA Bruins

Top-25 College Basketball: UCLA Projected Roster & Outlook

In this series, we'll be taking a closer look at RotoWire's preseason college basketball top-25, with an in-depth roster analysis and projected rotation for the 2025-26 season for each team. Today's feature will be the UCLA Bruins.

14. UCLA

UCLA brought in a ton of transfers prior to last season, but for the most part it was a struggle for coach Mick Cronin to find a way for all the pieces to fit together, as the Bruins ended up just netting a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The group he has going into the 2025-26 campaign feels like the fit and cohesiveness is a lot more there. 

Leading the way is one of the top transfers in the country in Donovan Dent. The Centennial High School product was not recruited by UCLA, but after three seasons in New Mexico, he will be going back home. Dent had one of the highest usage rates of any player last year averaging 20.4 points and 6.4 assists per contest. He'll be the first lead guard Cronin has truly been able to lean on since Tyger Campbell. 

The backcourt will clear out a bit with Dylan Andrews and Sebastian Mack leaving the program. That will allow Skyy Clark to start alongside Dent. 

One positive last season for the Bruins was the frontcourt of Eric Dailey and Tyler Bilodeau, who were the only two players to average in double figures. Both will be back again and to add some experience. 

Backup big man Aday Mara is heading to Michigan, but in his place will be Xavier Booker from Michigan State, who was a former 5-star recruit. 

Jamar Brown I believe will get the nod to start at small forward after he averaged 17 PPG and 7.4 RPG at UMKC. Brown shot over 40 percent from deep last season and should get a lot of open looks with Dent running the show. 

Eric Freeny and Brandon Williams both redshirted last season and should be able to carve out a spot in the rotation along with Cronin's top recruit from a year ago in Trent Perry. 

UCLA might not have Final Four upside, but it will be a tough team to knock off once we get to Big Ten play.

Check out how injuries are affecting the status of other players & teams on RotoWire's college basketball injury report.

2025-26 Iowa State Basketball Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Donovan Dent (20.4 PPG, 6.4 APG at New Mexico)

SG: Skyy Clark (8.5 PPG)

SF: Jamar Brown (17.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.3 3PM at UMKC)

PF: Eric Dailey (11.4 PPG)

C: Tyler Bilodeau (13.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG)

Key Reserves: Xavier Booker (4.7 PPG at Michigan State), Trent Perry (3.7 PPG), Steven Jamerson (10.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG at San Diego), Eric Freeny (Redshirted), Brandon Williams (Redshirted)

Following another active transfer portal period, RotoWire's college basketball depth charts are updated with the latest in roster movement.

2025-26 Full Preseason College Basketball Top-25

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14. UCLA Bruins
15. Alabama Crimson Tide
16. Iowa State Cyclones
17. Arizona Wildcats
18. Michigan State Spartans
19. Gonzaga Bulldogs
20. Kansas Jayhawks
21. Tennessee Volunteers
22. North Carolina Tar Heels
23. Oregon Ducks
24. Illinois Fighting Illini
25. Wisconsin Badgers