No. 22 UCLA gets its first look at Pauley Pavilion on Friday, and the Bruins bring a little momentum with them after knocking off fifth-ranked Arizona in Las Vegas to start the season.
UCLA opened with a 1-0 record and a statement 84-75 win Monday, surviving a late push from the Wildcats by finishing the game on a 13-5 run. Jaylen Petty was right in the middle of it, handing out a game-high seven assists while helping steady a new-look Bruins group.
“Our team just doesn’t quit,” Petty said following the contest. “Like coach (Mick Cronin) said, we all have great attitudes. We all want to win and come together, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Petty is one of several additions giving UCLA a different look this season. The Texas Tech transfer averaged 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game last year and knocked down 69 3-pointers. Blue-chip prep recruit Joe Philon III also made an early impact, hitting a 3-pointer and scoring seven points in his debut.
The Bruins’ returning core did plenty of heavy lifting, too. Trent Perry scored 21 points, Eric Dailey Jr. added 13, and Xavier Booker supplied a crucial triple during the closing surge despite being limited to 13 minutes.
UCLA now heads into its home opener with a signature win already banked and a nonconference schedule that is just getting going.
“When you can get a quality win, learn some things, and get valuable film to teach from, that’s important,” Cronin said.
North Florida arrives in Los Angeles at 1-0 and as the first of back-to-back top 25 opponents on the Ospreys’ schedule. Miami is next on Nov. 9.
The Ospreys opened Tuesday with a 71-63 win over California Baptist, another 2026 NCAA Tournament team from southern California. But this version of North Florida looks very different from the one Cal Baptist saw in March Madness, when the final Western Athletic Conference champion pushed Kansas to the limit.
That turnover is part of what coach Bobby Kennen called “the reality of the college basketball.” Three of North Florida’s five double-figure scorers in the opener were debuting for the program, including Mason Watkins, who scored 13 points.
“We needed physicality, we needed athleticism, we needed versatility in the frontcourt,” Kennen said of the offseason changes. “Eddie (Placer, a transfer from Wagner), Mason, those guys can play three or four positions. I wanted to be able to play different ways.”
The revamped roster showed its offensive punch right away. North Florida shot nearly 64% on attempts inside the arc and played at a brisk pace, averaging possessions of less than 15 seconds, according to KenPom.com.
Even with the new faces, the Ospreys still have one proven piece back in Kent Jackson. He picked up where he left off with 15 points after averaging 14.8 last season.
In Other News...
UCLA Freshman Just Changed The Way Fans Will View This Team
UCLAs rout of North Florida was the kind of game that can reset the conversation around a roster in a hurry. The Bruins won 114-63, and freshman Nikola Kusturica was at the center of it, putting together a polished, all-around performance that went well beyond scoring. He finished with 29 points and added work on the glass, in the passing lanes and around the rim, the sort of contribution that makes a young player look far more settled than a typical first-year piece.
For UCLA, the bigger takeaway was how complete the team looked on both ends while Kusturica kept piling up production with efficiency. The Bruins were sharp offensively, disruptive defensively and in control for long stretches, and the freshmans emergence gave the blowout a different feel than a standard nonconference win. If this is a sign of how quickly he can impact games, opponents may have to start viewing UCLA a little differently. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs USC Showdown Could Decide Far More Than Bragging Rights
The annual UCLA-USC rivalry is back on the calendar, and this years meeting at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 28 carries the kind of late-season weight that can ripple well beyond Pasadena. Both programs still have plenty of football ahead on their 2026 schedules, but this one already stands out as the kind of game that can shape how each side is viewed when the dust settles.
For Bruins fans, the setting alone adds to the stakes, with the rivalry landing in a familiar place and at a familiar time of year. Tickets are already on the market through StubHub, a reminder that demand for this matchup never really cools off, especially when the two Los Angeles programs arrive with something more meaningful than bragging rights on the line. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Road Win Sparked A Big Debate Bruins Fans Know Well
UCLAs 34-20 win at Minnesota had the kind of explosive moments that can change the tone of a season, and Aiden Mizell was right in the middle of it. The wide receiver turned just two catches into a huge night, while Ty Dieffenbach kept the Bruins moving through the air and Wayne Knight added balance on the ground with 109 rushing yards and a touchdown.
The result also fed into a familiar Bruins conversation about what this offense can be when the big plays show up. Dieffenbachs line was productive, but not spotless, and the kind of efficiency debate that follows a road win like this is exactly the sort of thing UCLA fans know well. Scooter Jacksons interception and steady work on defense helped make the margin hold, but the bigger question is how often the Bruins can keep pairing chunk plays with enough consistency to make them sustainable. [Read more 🡒]