SerpApi.Org
In order for the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball program to rebound from a pair of quiet seasons over the past two years, it’ll take some players taking a major stride and establishing themselves as premier players in the sport.
Last year, UCLA thought they were getting that in Donovan Dent, but the jump to the Big Ten Conference wasn’t always an easy one for Dent. The Bruins also enjoyed a stellar season from Tyler Bilodeau but the Oregon State transfer was injured in the Big Ten tournament and wasn’t able to return to action before UCLA was bounced from the NCAA tournament.
How many elite players does UCLA have this year? According to Basket Under Review, the Bruins have two Top-100 players and two more who earned honorable mention shout outs. UCLA’s youngest player, Serbian forward Nikola Kusturica was ranked No. 86 despite being just 17-years old. UCLA’s other Top-100 player is Trent Perry who sits at No. 71 on the list.
Both Eric Dailey Jr. and Jaylen Petty were named honorable mentions, and for UCLA to make a run this season, they’ll need at least one of Dailey or Petty to break out. The signs are there for both players, Dailey saw his numbers rise down the stretch of last season at the power forward position and Petty was an instant-impact player as a freshman with Texas Tech last season.
The good news for UCLA is that only one of Basket Under Review’s Top-10 players reside in the Big Ten, with that being Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr. but Fears is ranked as the No. 1 player in the country.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: How many Top-100 players do the UCLA Bruins have on roster?
