ESPN ranked the UCLA men’s basketball team No. 15 in its early preseason predictions. ESPN declared that the Bruins’ best nonconference game this upcoming season is against the Arizona Wildcats on Nov. 14. The Bruins should be formidable on their own, but ESPN included that Arizona would be their most anticipated non-Big Ten game. The reason? To see the Bruins’ junior transfer guard from New Mexico, Donovan Dent, against a talented Arizona backcourt. Here is what Jeff Borzello from ESPN had to say about the matchup:
“An old Pac-10/12 rivalry game will double as a fascinating early-season measuring stick for these high-ceiling teams. For the Bruins, it’s a chance to see Donovan Dent against a talented backcourt,” Jeff Borzello wrote in his article. “Dent is going to be the needle-mover for Mick Cronin, but the likes of Trent Perry and Skyy Clark taking a significant leap might make more of a difference for this group’s potential.”
In the article, he also has the UCLA basketball starting lineup as Dent, Clark, Perry, Eric Dailey and Tyler Bilodeau.
Last season for the Lobos, Dent posted team-highs with 20.4 points per game and 6.4 assists per game. He earned 2025 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and First-Team All-Conference honors, according to UCLA.
ESPN had the Wildcats as the No. 16 ranked offense last year, scoring 82.5 points per game compared to the Bruins’ No. 164 ranked offense with 74.2 points per game.
Before this season, Borzello has the Wildcats ranked two spots higher than the Bruins at No. 13. The Bruins have the hype; now it will be up to Mick Cronin, Dent, and the rest of the Bruins to close the gap and hold their own against what has historically been a high powered offense. If they can, especially early in their season, Bruins basketball could get exciting this season.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Bruins’ men’s basketball against Arizona ranked as one of ESPN’s best games this season
Reporting by Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
