UCLA’s November schedule may not be loaded from top to bottom, but there are three games that should say plenty about where the Bruins are headed.
Through two exhibition games, UCLA has already looked the part of a top-25 team. The competition hasn’t exactly been brutal, but the early signs are encouraging: this group has depth, and Nikola Kusturica already looks like a freshman who could become one of the best in the country.
Still, November brings a few true tests, and the way UCLA handles them could reveal a lot about its March ceiling.
It starts right away with one of the toughest openings in the country. UCLA opens the 2026-2027 season against Arizona, and the Wildcats come in ranked No. 5 in the preseason AP Poll. Tommy Lloyd’s team is packed with talent and aiming for a return to the Final Four.
The biggest matchup problem may come in the paint. Returning center Motiejus Krivas could wind up as an All-American when the season is over, and at 7’2”, he gives UCLA exactly the kind of frontcourt challenge it has to answer early. The Bruins’ defensive question is clear: can they hold up inside against that size?
After Arizona, UCLA heads to San Diego for the Rady Children’s Invitational, where Saint Mary’s waits in the first round. The Gaels have long been a program that can give major teams trouble, though this year’s roster looks a bit lighter than what they’ve put out in recent seasons.
Saint Mary’s will lean on returning point guard Joshua Dent, who averaged 13.2 points per game last year. Dent can get his own bucket, but he also sets the table for others. The Gaels will also be adjusting after an offseason coaching change, with longtime head coach Randy Bennett leaving for Arizona State.
If UCLA gets past Saint Mary’s, the more likely second-round opponent is Texas. The Bruins would face the winner of Texas and Georgetown, and the portal additions Texas brought in this offseason make the Longhorns the most likely matchup.
That would also come on short rest, with UCLA needing to turn around quickly after its first game in the event.
Texas’ attack will be driven by Isaiah Johnson, who transferred in from Colorado after averaging 16.9 points last season and establishing himself as one of the better point guards in the transfer portal. The Longhorns also have a formidable pair in David Punch and Matas Vokietaitis, a duo that should rank among the best in the country and give UCLA another serious problem to solve.
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