Teams › Big Ten · Compare UCLA with another team
UCLA
UCLA returns 48% of last season's minutes and rates #37 on offense and #25 on defense of 365 teams. 80% range: +8.2 to +22.9.
Why we have them here
UCLA's preseason projection of +15.6 (No. 28 of 365) starts from the roster: its players' ratings, weighted by projected minutes, add up to a roll-up worth +8.9, about the +9.1 typical of teams ranked near it. Last season's rating (No. 40 at the end of 2025-26) adds +2.6, about its neighbours' +3.0; the program's level two and three seasons back and the roster's experience and shape add +1.4. A stretch at the top of the scale adds +0.5, because a straight-line calibration shrinks elite teams. It returns 48% of last season's minutes, more than teams ranked near it (29%). The projection leans most on Eric Dailey Jr. (+5.0), Trent Perry (+4.5) and Jaylen Petty (+3.2); the newcomer who matters most is Jaylen Petty, a transfer from Texas Tech, at +3.2. Its 80% range, +8.2 to +22.9, is about as wide as that of teams ranked near it.
Generated from the published projection's own terms, not written by hand. "Teams ranked near it" are the thirty nearest in the preseason order. Preseason projection frozen 2026-10-23; how the projection is built.
Roster
Returning 47% · Transfer 38% · Freshman 13% · Other newcomer 3%
| Rank | Player | Pos | Ht | D1 yrs | Group | From | MPG | Rating | Contrib. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | Eric Dailey Jr. | G | 6-8 | 3 | Returning | UCLA | 26 | +7.7 | +5.0 |
| 99 | Trent Perry | G | 6-4 | 2 | Returning | UCLA | 28 | +6.4 | +4.5 |
| 212 | Jaylen Petty | G | 6-1 | 1 | Transfer | Texas Tech | 26 | +5.0 | +3.2 |
| 749 | Filip Jovic | F | 6-8 | 1 | Transfer | Auburn | 18 | +2.5 | +1.1 |
| 759 | Azavier Robinson | G | 6-2 | 1 | Transfer | Butler | 15 | +2.6 | +1.0 |
| 760 | Sergej Macura | F | 6-9 | 1 | Transfer | Mississippi State | 16 | +2.6 | +1.0 |
| 867 | Xavier Booker | F | 6-11 | 3 | Returning | UCLA | 18 | +2.0 | +0.9 |
| 1270 | Nikola Kusturica | F | 6-7 | 0 | Freshman | High school | 10 | +0.9 | +0.2 |
| 1370 | Joe Philon | F | 6-8 | 0 | Freshman | High school | 9 | +0.6 | +0.1 |
| 1423 | Eric Freeny | G | 6-4 | 1 | Returning | UCLA | 10 | +0.4 | +0.1 |
| 1656 | Javonte Floyd | C | 6-9 | 0 | Freshman | High school | 6 | +0.0 | +0.0 |
| 1660 | Brandon Williams | G | 6-7 | 3 | Returning | UCLA | 11 | +0.0 | +0.0 |
| 1767 | Markell Alston | F | 6-1 | 0 | Other newcomer | 2 | -0.4 | +0.0 | |
| 2000 | Gunars Grinvalds | F | 6-9 | 0 | Other newcomer | 3 | -0.9 | -0.1 |
A player's rating is points per 100 possessions better than an average Division I player while he is on the floor. Contribution weights it by the share of a rotation slot he is projected to play, so a star on the bench and a role player who never sits both read right. Rank is among all 5,249 rated players. MPG is the projected share of a rotation slot times 40. "From" is last season's team. The bars are contribution, the player's rating times his projected share; their sum is the roll-up the projection starts from.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Proj. margin | Win prob. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon Nov 02 | N |  Arizona #3 | -5.9 | 32% | |
| Fri Nov 06 | vs |  North Florida #321 | +23.9 | 97% | |
| Wed Nov 11 | vs |  Arkansas-Pine Bluff #349 | +26.0 | 98% | |
| Mon Nov 16 | vs |  Long Beach State #278 | +21.2 | 96% | |
| Wed Nov 18 | vs |  Cal State Fullerton #236 | +21.0 | 95% | |
| Sun Nov 22 | vs |  Delaware #325 | +22.0 | 96% | |
| Thu Nov 26 | N |  Saint Mary's #60 | +3.5 | 61% | |
| Tue Dec 01 | vs |  Oregon #58 | conf | +6.9 | 71% |
| Sat Dec 05 | N |  Gonzaga #14 | -3.1 | 40% | |
| Sun Dec 13 | at |  Washington #92 | conf | +3.6 | 62% |
| Sat Dec 19 | vs |  Quinnipiac #200 | +19.0 | 94% | |
| Tue Dec 22 | vs |  UC Riverside #252 | +19.9 | 95% | |
| Tue Dec 29 | vs |  San Diego State #81 | +12.3 | 84% | |
| Sat Jan 02 | at |  Maryland #64 | conf | +0.6 | 52% |
| Tue Jan 05 | at |  Rutgers #102 | conf | +4.4 | 64% |
| Sat Jan 09 | vs |  Michigan State #6 | conf | -1.0 | 47% |
| Sat Jan 16 | vs | Washington #92 | conf | +9.8 | 79% |
| Tue Jan 19 | vs |  Wisconsin #34 | conf | +4.6 | 64% |
| Fri Jan 22 | at |  Nebraska #12 | conf | -6.5 | 30% |
| Tue Jan 26 | vs |  Michigan #11 | conf | +0.3 | 51% |
| Sat Jan 30 | at |  Indiana #55 | conf | -0.9 | 47% |
| Tue Feb 02 | at |  Illinois #5 | conf | -8.3 | 25% |
| Sat Feb 06 | vs |  Iowa #33 | conf | +4.1 | 63% |
| Tue Feb 09 | vs |  Minnesota #65 | conf | +7.2 | 72% |
| Sat Feb 13 | at |  USC #35 | conf | -1.9 | 44% |
| Wed Feb 17 | vs |  Ohio State #27 | conf | +3.5 | 61% |
| Sun Feb 21 | at |  Purdue #38 | conf | -1.8 | 44% |
| Wed Feb 24 | at |  Northwestern #79 | conf | +1.8 | 56% |
| Sat Feb 27 | vs |  Penn State #89 | conf | +9.6 | 78% |
| Wed Mar 03 | at | Oregon #58 | conf | +0.6 | 52% |
| Sat Mar 06 | vs | USC #35 | conf | +4.9 | 65% |
Projected margin is from UCLA's side, with home court where the game is not neutral (N). Games are the schedule as posted; tournaments and late additions appear as they are listed. Predictions are as of 2026-10-26 and reflect the roster as the model has it on that date.