When Mick Cronin arrived at UCLA in 2019, the expectations were sky-high. When he took over the Bruins at age 47, he had more Division I wins than any active coach under 50, and he’d taken Cincinnati to nine straight NCAA Tournaments. He was supposed to be the guy who brought the Bruins back to national prominence. And for a moment, it looked like he was exactly that. Cronin led UCLA on an unforgettable run to the Final Four in year 2, instantly winning over a fanbase hungry for a return to glory. But with each passing year, that excitement seems to fade a little more.

Since that Final Four run, Cronin has led the Bruins to two straight Sweet 16 appearances before completely missing the NCAA Tournament in their final year in the Pac-12. And last season didn’t provide much relief either, as UCLA bowed out in the Round of 32. But if there’s one thing Bruins fans don’t do, it’s give up. This is still the most successful men’s basketball program in the country, and the fanbase is always ready to believe again. So this season has opened with the same excitement you’d normally expect in California around this time.

The Bruins have opened the season on a strong note, winning four of their first five games. Their lone loss came against the only Quad 1 opponent in this stretch, Arizona, but they bounced back the right way with a dominant 79–48 win over Sacramento State. Pauley Pavilion even had a few familiar faces in the crowd — from Dijon Thompson to Amari Bailey to Ray Young. Even Matt Barnes showed up with his son, and the former Bruin had plenty of praise for both the program and Mick Cronin after watching the team handle business.

“What up, this is Matt Barnes and my little man. Coming to you live from Pauley Pavilion, where the Bruins just took down my hometown team Sac State, and my brother, Mike Bibby. I’m excited about this season for the Bruins and really looking forward to a big run and have some tournament success. So stay tuned, man, it’s gonna be a fun season.”

Barnes was a Bruin for four years before moving on to a long, successful 14-year NBA career, eventually retiring as an NBA champion with the 2017 Golden State Warriors. So it’s no surprise he was happy with how the Bruins handled Sacramento State. And why wouldn’t he?

The Bruins controlled the paint all night, putting up 36 points inside compared to Sacramento State’s 14, and they pulled down nine more rebounds than Mike Bibby’s team. Mick Cronin’s group shot a solid 48% from the field, but if the Bruins want to make a deep big dance run this season, they will have to improve their shooting from deep (33%) and at the free-throw line (67%).

Speaking of making a deep NCAA Tournament run… are the Bruins actually built for it this year? Let’s take a look.

Will UCLA Bounce Back Under Mick Cronin This Season?

Last season was a step forward for the Bruins. They finished the 2024–25 campaign with a 23–11 record, ending in a three-way tie for fourth in the conference with Purdue and Wisconsin. They earned a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament and made it to the second round before falling to No. 2 seed Tennessee. But a lot has changed since then. 8 players from that roster are now gone.

Players like Kobe Johnson and Lazar Stefanovic have graduated, and others — including Dominick Harris and Aday Mara — have transferred to new programs. But Mick Cronin did manage to keep three of his top four scorers from last season: Tyler Bilodeau, Eric Dailey Jr, and Skyy Clark.

To replace all the size and production they lost, the Bruins went hunting in the portal — and they landed two massive additions. The first was Xavier Booker, a former five-star recruit from the 2023 class. At 6’11”, he will look to address the size issue the Bruins were going to have after losing Mara.

But the biggest move they made in the portal was undoubtedly Donovan Dent, the explosive guard from New Mexico. Last season, Dent averaged 20.4 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, all while shooting 49% from the field and just under 41% from three. If Dent settles in quickly and Booker finally taps into his five-star potential — which so far he hasn’t — things could look very different in California.

It will be interesting to see if this newly built Bruins squad, put together by Mick Cronin, can help UCLA get back to the Final Four once again. What do you think? Let us know in the comments down below!