UCLA men's basketball is being looked at as a prominent threat again following a promising month of April.

The Bruins are returning their two stars, forwards Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey Jr., and on top of that, they added guard Donovan Dent, one of the top transfers for the portal, a sharpshooting wing in Jamar Brown and a potential starting center in Xavier Booker.

Not to mention, UCLA will also have an up-and-coming underclassman in guard Trent Perry, whom coach Mick Cronin is very high on.

"He’s had a great attitude throughout, being a McDonald’s All-American and having choppy minutes," Cronin said after Perry's performance against Indiana back in February. "He can’t possibly have a better attitude. He could get one shot, and he never stops talking, never stops hustling, always in the right spot. That kid’s going to be a great player – he’s a winner.”

UCLA has the tools to be great, and CBS Sports' Gary Parrish projects them to be. He placed the Bruins at No. 9 in his latest "college basketball rankings."

Parrish placed the Bruins at No. 9 in his latest "college basketball rankings."

"This ranking is based on the Bruins returning three of the top four scorers - specifically Tyler Bilodeau, Eric Dailey Jr. and Skyy Clark - from a team that finished 23-11 and advanced to the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament," Parrish wrote.

"That core will be joined by a recruiting class featuring New Mexico transfer Donovan Dent, Michigan State transfer Xavier Booker, Kansas City transfer Jamar Brown and San Diego transfer Steven Jamerson."

Dent was last season's Mountain West Player of the Year. He averaged a conference-best 20.4 points per game, 6.4 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.4 steals.

Booker didn't live up to expectations at Michigan State but still has the potential to, or at least be a positive contributor for the Bruins, both down low and as a threat from deep.

Brown is a two-time All-Summit League selection who averaged 17.0 points per game last season while shooting just over 40% from deep on nearly six attempts a game from beyond the arc.

UCLA has been a major winner of the offseason and will be expected to compete for a Big Ten title next year.

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