Be at your best when your best is needed.
Coach John Wooden’s sentiments continue to echo through Pauley Pavilion and Westwood more than three decades after the Bruins’ most recent title and more than four decades since the last one with the historic coach.
The season is here, and the pressure is on for coach Mick Cronin.
No. 22 UCLA men’s basketball heads to Las Vegas to face No. 5 Arizona at T-Mobile Arena on Monday night to begin both programs’ 2026-27 seasons.
“What these games do is give you the truth,” Cronin said. “What do you really have? What are your real deficiencies? What do you really need to work on?”
Cronin first arrived in Westwood in 2019. Coach Cori Close had yet to get UCLA women’s basketball over the hump – making the Elite Eight just once in eight seasons – and coach Chip Kelly had UCLA football at 7-17 after his first two seasons.
Now, Close is coming off the program’s first NCAA title, and coach Bob Chesney already has the Bruins turned around at No. 5 in the country with an 8-0 record following an 8-16 record across the previous two seasons.
Meanwhile, Cronin and Co. are coming off their second straight loss in the Round of 32. UCLA hasn’t made the Elite Eight since 2021 – or the Sweet 16 since 2023.
With the departure of UCLA starters such as forward Tyler Bilodeau and guards Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark, Cronin – much like he did ahead of the 2023-24 season – has turned to acquiring the services of highly touted freshmen and international standouts.
However, Cronin said he disagrees with any such comparisons. The 2023-24 Bruins infamously failed to make the NCAA tournament, and the coach added that the 2026-27 crew is far more talented.
Just how accurate Cronin’s assessment is will be tested Monday, when the truth will be revealed, the coach said.
In an age of college sports that seems to be dominated by players with considerable NCAA experience, it’s the freshmen who have generated the most excitement ahead of Monday night’s showdown.
The Wildcat guard Caleb Holt was the No. 3 player in the 2026 recruiting class and the No. 1 shooting guard. The 6-foot-5 McDonald’s All-American is a large part of Arizona’s preseason ranking – their best since 2018.
The Bruins, meanwhile, boast freshman guard/forward Nikola Kusturica – a five-star recruit from Serbia who is only 17.
However, UCLA’s most impactful addition may be four-star freshman guard/forward Joe Philon III.
Cronin added that Philon already has basketball’s toughest skill to teach – knowing what he can and can’t do, and avoiding what he can’t do come game time. The coach added that Philon’s maturity is of NBA quality.
“When you have a wing that’s long and athletic like that, and that can read the defense and make reads on defense, it’s special,” said senior guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr., who returns to Westwood for his third season. “He’s going to be a special guy, special piece of this program this year.”
The Bruins and Wildcats tip off at 7 p.m.
Arizona is coming off a historic 36-3 season in which it won both the Big 12 regular-season title and conference tournament before making the Final Four – the program’s first appearance in 25 years.
“It’s going to be a great test for us,” said senior center/forward Xavier Booker. “It’s not going to make or break our season, but it’s going to be a good stepping stone.”
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