2025–26 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team
American college basketball season
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The 2025–26 UCLA Bruins men's basketball team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bruins, led by seventh-year head coach Mick Cronin, played their home games at Pauley Pavilion as members of the Big Ten Conference. The Bruins finished the season 24–12, 13–7 in Big Ten play to finish a tie for seventh place.[1] As the No. 6 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they defeated Rutgers[2] and Michigan State[3] before losing to Purdue in the semifinal. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 7 seed in the East region.[4] There they defeated UCF[5] before losing to UConn in the second round.[6]
- Mick Cronin (7th season)
| 2025–26 UCLA Bruins men's basketball | |
|---|---|
NCAA tournament, Second round | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 24–12 (13–7 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| Associate head coach | Darren Savino (7th season) |
| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | Pauley Pavilion (Capacity: 13,819) |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 Michigan | 19 | – | 1 | .950 | 37 | – | 3 | .925 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14 Nebraska | 15 | – | 5 | .750 | 28 | – | 7 | .800 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 Illinois | 15 | – | 5 | .750 | 28 | – | 9 | .757 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 11 Michigan State | 15 | – | 5 | .750 | 27 | – | 8 | .771 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 25 Wisconsin | 14 | – | 6 | .700 | 24 | – | 11 | .686 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Purdue † | 13 | – | 7 | .650 | 30 | – | 9 | .769 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCLA | 13 | – | 7 | .650 | 24 | – | 12 | .667 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio State | 12 | – | 8 | .600 | 21 | – | 13 | .618 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 15 Iowa | 10 | – | 10 | .500 | 24 | – | 13 | .649 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 9 | – | 11 | .450 | 18 | – | 14 | .563 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 8 | – | 12 | .400 | 15 | – | 18 | .455 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USC | 7 | – | 13 | .350 | 18 | – | 14 | .563 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington | 7 | – | 13 | .350 | 16 | – | 17 | .485 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rutgers | 6 | – | 14 | .300 | 14 | – | 20 | .412 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 5 | – | 15 | .250 | 15 | – | 19 | .441 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon | 5 | – | 15 | .250 | 12 | – | 20 | .375 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maryland | 4 | – | 16 | .200 | 12 | – | 21 | .364 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State | 3 | – | 17 | .150 | 12 | – | 20 | .375 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2026 Big Ten tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Bruins finished with a 17–1 record at home, including wins over top-10 ranked Purdue, Illinois and Nebraska.[7][8] In UCLA's opener in the Big Ten tournament, Donovan Dent had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in a 72–59 win over Rutgers. It was the first triple-double in the tournament's history.[9] In the following game, the sixth-seeded Bruins won 88–84 in the quarterfinal over No. 8–ranked and third-seeded Michigan State,[10][11][12] their first non-home win of the season against a ranked opponent.[13]
Previous season
The Bruins finished the 2024–25 season 23–11, 13–7 in Big Ten play to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place.[14] As the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they lost to Wisconsin in the quarterfinal.[15] They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 7 seed in the Midwest region. They defeated Utah State[16] in the first round before losing to Tennessee in the second round.[17]
Offseason
Departures
| Name | Num | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kobe Johnson | 0 | G | 6'6" | 200 | Senior | Milwaukee, WI | Graduated |
| Dylan Andrews | 2 | G | 6'2" | 180 | Junior | West Covina, CA | Transferred to Boise State[18] |
| Dominick Harris | 8 | G | 6'3" | 190 | Senior | Murrieta, CA | Graduated |
| Lazar Stefanović | 10 | G | 6'7" | 190 | Senior | Belgrade, Serbia | Graduated |
| Sebastian Mack | 12 | G | 6'3" | 200 | Sophomore | Chicago, IL | Transferred to Missouri[19] |
| Aday Mara | 15 | C | 7'3" | 240 | Sophomore | Zaragoza, Spain | Transferred to Michigan[20] |
| Devin Williams | 22 | F | 6'10" | 200 | Sophomore | Riverside, CA | Transferred to Florida Atlantic[21] |
| William Kyle III | 24 | F | 6'9" | 230 | Junior | Bellevue, NE | Transferred to Syracuse[22] |
| Name | Num | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier Booker[23] | 1 | F/C | 6'11" | 220 | Junior | Indianapolis, IN | Michigan State |
| Donovan Dent[24] | 2 | G | 6'2" | 185 | Senior | Riverside | New Mexico |
| Jamar Brown[25] | 4 | G | 6'5" | 200 | 5th | Chandler, AZ | UMKC |
| Anthony Peoples Jr.[26] | 23 | F/C | 6'9" | 230 | Senior | Corona, CA | NCCU |
| Steven Jamerson II[27] | 24 | F/C | 6'10" | 230 | Senior | Los Angeles, CA | San Diego |
2025 recruiting class
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Markell Alston G |
Queensbridge, NY | Christ the King Regional High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Jun 16, 2025 | |
| Recruit ratings: No ratings found | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: | ||||||
Sources:
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Roster
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Schedule and results
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exhibition | |||||||||||
| October 17, 2025* 7:00 p.m. |
No. 12 | at San Diego State | W 67–60 | 18 – Dent | 5 – Tied | 3 – Dent | Viejas Arena (9,500) San Diego, CA | ||||
| October 28, 2025* 7:00 p.m., B1G+ |
No. 12 | UC Irvine | W 94–64 | 19 – Bilodeau | 10 – Brown | 8 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (4,016) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| Regular season | |||||||||||
| November 3, 2025* 7:30 p.m., BTN |
No. 12 | Eastern Washington | W 80–74 | 1–0 |
21 – Dent | 7 – Booker | 9 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (3,615) Los Angeles, CA | |||
| November 7, 2025* 7:30 p.m., BTN |
No. 12 | Pepperdine | W 74–63 | 2–0 |
15 – Booker | 5 – Tied | 4 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (9,103) Los Angeles, CA | |||
| November 10, 2025* 7:00 p.m., B1G+ |
No. 15 | West Georgia | W 83–62 | 3–0 |
21 – Bilodeau | 6 – Booker | 9 – Perry | Pauley Pavilion (4,133) Los Angeles, CA | |||
| November 14, 2025* 7:00 p.m., Peacock |
No. 15 | vs. No. 5 Arizona Rivalry/Hall of Fame Series Los Angeles |
L 65–69 | 3–1 |
19 – Bilodeau | 7 – Booker | 8 – Dent | Intuit Dome (7,554) Inglewood, CA | |||
| November 18, 2025* 7:30 p.m., BTN |
No. 19 | Sacramento State Empire Classic |
W 79–48 | 4–1 |
15 – Dailey Jr. | 10 – Dailey Jr. | 7 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (4,735) Los Angeles, CA | |||
| November 21, 2025* 7:30 p.m., BTN |
No. 19 | Presbyterian Empire Classic |
W 86–46 | 5–1 |
22 – Clark | 7 – Tied | 5 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (4,142) Los Angeles, CA | |||
| November 25, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ESPN |
No. 18 | vs. California Empire Classic |
L 72–80 | 5–2 |
17 – Dailey Jr. | 7 – Dailey Jr. | 7 – Dent | Chase Center (7,293) San Francisco, CA | |||
| December 3, 2025 8:00 p.m., BTN |
at Washington | W 82–80 | 6–2 (1–0) |
25 – Clark | 6 – Brown | 8 – Dent | Alaska Airlines Arena (6,700) Seattle, WA | ||||
| December 6, 2025 3:00 p.m., Peacock |
Oregon | W 74–63 | 7–2 (2–0) |
18 – Dailey Jr. | 8 – Tied | 4 – Clark | Pauley Pavilion (7,022) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| December 13, 2025* 8:30 p.m., ESPN |
No. 25 | vs. No. 8 Gonzaga Seattle Hoops Showdown |
L 72–82 | 7–3 |
24 – Bilodeau | 5 – 3 Tied | 10 – Dent | Climate Pledge Arena (13,148) Seattle, WA | |||
| December 17, 2025* 7:30 p.m., FS1 |
Arizona State | W 99–77 | 8–3 |
20 – Dent | 6 – Dailey Jr. | 5 – Clark | Pauley Pavilion (5,553) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| December 19, 2025* 7:00 p.m., BTN |
Cal Poly | W 108–87 | 9–3 |
30 – Clark | 8 – Bilodeau | 11 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (4,123) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| December 23, 2025* 1:00 p.m., BTN |
UC Riverside | W 97–65 | 10–3 |
34 – Bilodeau | 9 – Dailey Jr. | 7 – Perry | Pauley Pavilion (4,475) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| January 3, 2026 3:00 p.m., Peacock |
at No. 25 Iowa | L 61–74 | 10–4 (2–1) |
25 – Dent | 4 – Tied | 5 – Dent | Carver–Hawkeye Arena (12,657) Iowa City, IA | ||||
| January 6, 2026 6:00 p.m., Peacock |
at Wisconsin | L 72–80 | 10–5 (2–2) |
18 – Dailey Jr. | 9 – Bilodeau | 7 – Dent | Kohl Center (13,644) Madison, WI | ||||
| January 10, 2026 5:00 p.m., FOX |
Maryland | W 67–55 | 11–5 (3–2) |
16 – Perry | 9 – Dailey Jr. | 7 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (6,879) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| January 14, 2026 5:30 p.m., FS1 |
at Penn State | W 71–60 | 12–5 (4–2) |
30 – Perry | 9 – Bilodeau | 5 – Dent | Bryce Jordan Center (5,836) University Park, PA | ||||
| January 17, 2026 10:00 a.m., CBS |
at Ohio State | L 74–86 | 12–6 (4–3) |
30 – Bilodeau | 8 – Bilodeau | 7 – Dent | Value City Arena (12,937) Columbus, OH | ||||
| January 20, 2026 7:00 p.m., Peacock |
No. 4 Purdue Coach Wooden Legacy Night |
W 69–67 | 13–6 (5–3) |
23 – Dent | 7 – Dailey Jr. | 13 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (10,235) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| January 24, 2026 3:00 p.m., FS1 |
Northwestern | W 71–64 | 14–6 (6–3) |
18 – Tied | 8 – Tied | 5 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (7,444) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| January 28, 2026 8:00 p.m., BTN |
at Oregon | W 73–57 | 15–6 (7–3) |
18 – Bilodeau | 11 – Dailey Jr. | 4 – Dent | Matthew Knight Arena (5,721) Eugene, OR | ||||
| January 31, 2026 2:00 p.m., Peacock |
Indiana | L 97–98 2OT | 15–7 (7–4) |
25 – Perry | 11 – Bilodeau | 11 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (10,086) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| February 3, 2026 6:30 p.m., BTN |
Rutgers | W 98–66 | 16–7 (8–4) |
24 – Booker | 7 – Tied | 11 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (5,307) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| February 7, 2026 7:00 p.m., FS1 |
Washington | W 77–73 | 17–7 (9–4) |
23 – Perry | 7 – Booker | 10 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (7,080) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| February 14, 2026 9:45 a.m., CBS |
at No. 2 Michigan | L 56–86 | 17–8 (9–5) |
14 – Perry | 6 – Bilodeau | 4 – Dent | Crisler Center (12,707) Ann Arbor, MI | ||||
| February 17, 2026 5:30 p.m., Peacock |
at No. 15 Michigan State | L 59–82 | 17–9 (9–6) |
22 – Bilodeau | 6 – Bilodeau | 4 – Dent | Breslin Center (14,797) East Lansing, MI | ||||
| February 21, 2026 5:00 p.m., FOX |
No. 10 Illinois | W 95–94 OT | 18–9 (10–6) |
20 – Dailey Jr. | 6 – Dailey Jr. | 15 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (10,036) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| February 24, 2026 8:00 p.m., FS1 |
USC Rivalry |
W 81–62 | 19–9 (11–6) |
30 – Dent | 9 – Bilodeau | 7 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (13,659) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| February 28, 2026 11:00 a.m., FS1 |
at Minnesota | L 73–78 | 19–10 (11–7) |
32 – Bilodeau | 8 – Bilodeau | 15 – Dent | Williams Arena (9,811) Minneapolis, MN | ||||
| March 3, 2026 8:00 p.m., FS1 |
No. 9 Nebraska | W 72–52 | 20–10 (12–7) |
20 – Perry | 8 – Dailey Jr. | 8 – Dent | Pauley Pavilion (9,027) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| March 7, 2026 6:00 p.m., FS1 |
at USC Rivalry |
W 89–68 | 21–10 (13–7) |
25 – Dent | 8 – Tied | 7 – Dent | Galen Center (8,441) Los Angeles, CA | ||||
| Big Ten tournament | |||||||||||
| March 12, 2026 6:00 p.m., BTN |
(6) | vs. (14) Rutgers Third round |
W 72–59 | 22–10 |
21 – Bilodeau | 10 – Dent | 12 – Dent | United Center (16,861) Chicago, IL | |||
| March 13, 2026 6:00 p.m., BTN |
(6) | vs. (3) No. 8 Michigan State Quarterfinal |
W 88–84 | 23–10 |
23 – Dent | 10 – Dailey Jr. | 12 – Dent | United Center (18,238) Chicago, IL | |||
| March 14, 2026 12:30 p.m., CBS |
(6) | vs. (7) No. 18 Purdue Semifinal |
L 66–73 | 23–11 |
15 – Perry | 10 – Dailey Jr. | 9 – Perry | United Center (17,923) Chicago, IL | |||
| NCAA Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 20, 2026 4:25 p.m., TBS |
(7 E) | vs. (10 E) UCF First round |
W 75–71 | 24–11 |
20 – Dailey Jr. | 8 – Booker | 5 – Dent | Xfinity Mobile Arena (19,636) Philadelphia, PA | |||
| March 22, 2026 5:45 p.m., TNT |
(7 E) | vs. (2 E) No. 7 UConn Second round |
L 57–73 | 24–12 |
13 – Booker | 5 – Booker | 9 – Dent | Xfinity Mobile Arena (19,279) Philadelphia, PA | |||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. E=East. All times are in Pacific Time. | |||||||||||
Rankings
Awards and honors
- December 22, 2025 – Skyy Clark was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week
- March 12, 2026 – Donovan Dent scored a first triple-double in the history of the Big Ten tournament
- March 17, 2026 – Tyler Bilodeau and Donovan Dent were named to the NABC All-Pacific District first-team