UCLA’s latest secret scrimmage offered an early look at a player who may end up mattering a lot more than a standard bench piece.
The Bruins handled Fresno State 90-64 in the closed-door workout at home, and the second half was reportedly controlled by UCLA. But the real buzz coming out of the scrimmage centered on Auburn transfer Filip Jovic, who appears to be carving out a major role before the season begins.
Jovic has been talked about as a potential key piece for this Bruins frontcourt, and the chatter is starting to sound less like speculation and more like a preview. He brings physicality and versatility, and all signs point to him opening the season as UCLA’s “sixth starter” - the first man off the bench and someone the Bruins will lean on heavily.
His teammates were quick to back that up when asked recently. Jaylen Petty described Jovic in blunt terms: “He's very physical.
Very physical,” Petty said. “Wants to win, loves to play defense, and does what he needs to do, especially when it comes to rebounding, just getting in the paint and being effective.”
That kind of profile fits neatly with what Mick Cronin has historically valued in his teams. Jovic sounds built for that style, and UCLA may have found exactly the type of frontcourt piece that can fill in all the little gaps around the stars.
Xavier Booker also came away impressed, pointing to both the scrimmage performance and the way Jovic can create problems for defenders. “I feel like he played really good, but we already knew what Fil could do. Just looking to see that in the season too, so it's gonna be fun.”
Booker then zeroed in on the kind of sneaky playmaking that can swing possessions and keep a defense guessing. “When he has the ball at the top of the key, he's dribbling, like you think he's giving a handoff to the guard, but it's really a fake handoff.
And he gets people every time. And he had, like, maybe, like, at least four of those in the scrimmage.
So it's definitely fun to see that. And yeah, we already know he can do that.
He does that in practice, so it was definitely fun to see.”
UCLA has no shortage of talent as the 2026-27 season approaches, but the Bruins’ ceiling won’t be decided by the starting five alone. If Jovic carries over what he showed in the scrimmage, he could end up being one of the pieces that pushes this team forward.
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