UCLA has the talent to challenge for its first Big Ten title in its third year in the league. The 22nd-ranked Bruins have a mix of proven veterans and youthful energy necessary for a deep NCAA Tournament run.
The school that owns a record 11 national titles has been knocked out in the second round the last two years, with its last Final Four appearance in 2021.
Last season: 24-12, 13-7
Players to watch
All eyes will be on Nikola Kusturica, the 17-year-old Serb who is already considered a future top pick in the NBA draft. The 6-foot-9 wing gives UCLA one of the longest perimeter trios in the country, along with 6-8 returning two-way starter Eric Dailey Jr. and 6-4 junior Trent Perry, who became a reliable scoring option last season. Kusturica figures to have two seasons in Westwood before becoming old enough to meet the draft’s minimum age requirement of 19. … Also watch newcomers Joe Philo, a 6-8 forward, and 18-year-old Gunars Grinvalds of Latvia, a 6-7 forward who made his debut in both Spain’s Liga ACB and EuroLeague last year.
Departures and arrivals
The Bruins lost leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau, Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark. They added combo guards Jaylen Petty (Texas Tech) and Azavier Robinson (Butler) to help fill Dent’s scoring and playmaking roles. Filip Jovic (Auburn), Philon and senior Xavier Booker will try to replace Bilodeau’s scoring and rebounding presence.
Top games
The Bruins open on Nov. 2 against No. 5 Arizona in Las Vegas as part of the Hall of Fame Series.
Notable nonconference games are No. 15 Gonzaga on Dec. 5 in Anaheim, California, and a Dec. 29 meeting against San Diego State at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins open Big Ten play on Dec. 1 against Oregon, host Michigan State on Jan. 9, host defending national champion Michigan on Jan. 26, visit Illinois on Feb. 2
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and play crosstown rival USC on Feb. 13 and March 6.Facts and figures
The Bruins were among the top 10 in the league in several categories last season, including No. 1 in turnover margin at plus-3.4. … They were second in 3-point percentage at 37.9.