Eye On College Basketball: ’25 Summer Shootaround – Mystery Team No. 3 (UCLA Bruins)

Date: September 4, 2025
Hosts: Gary Parrish (A), Matt Norlander (C)
Theme: Season preview for the 2025–26 UCLA Bruins with an in-depth discussion of roster, expectations, coaching, and scheduling.

Episode Overview

This episode marks the conclusion of the Summer Shootaround series, featuring the fan-driven selection of the UCLA Bruins as “Mystery Team No. 3.” Using trivia, Gary Parrish reveals to Matt Norlander (and listeners) that Mick Cronin’s UCLA squad is the focus, sparking a thorough evaluation of the Bruins’ preseason Top 10 ranking, talent influx, returning core, Cronin’s program-building, and the Big Ten landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trivia Reveal: Who is Mystery Team No. 3?

• Fun guessing game between Gary and Matt leads to the reveal that UCLA is the featured team.
• Notable coaching history (Mick Cronin’s third D1 job) and the 1990s national championship clue help Matt guess correctly.
• Quote:

  “We are talking about the Bruins today.” — Gary Parrish [06:24]
  “Congrats to the UCLA fanbase for making it happen…They were pissed off that they didn’t make the list to begin with, and they made it happen.” — Matt Norlander [07:25]

• Anecdote: Gary mistaken for Mick Cronin at Big Ten Media Day. [07:02]

2. 2024–25 Season Recap and Roster Continuity

• Record: 23–11 overall, 13–7 in Big Ten
• NCAA Tournament: 7-seed; beat Utah State, eliminated by Tennessee in Round of 32.
• Return three top four scorers: Tyler Bildo, Eric Daly, Sky Clark.

“They bring back three starters, like three dudes who were relevant players on an NCAA tournament team.” — Gary Parrish [15:22]

3. Transfer Portal Impact & Offseason Additions

• Big additions:
  • Donovan Dent (New Mexico): Mountain West POY, considered as a potential All-American.
  • Xavier Booker (Michigan State): Former five-star recruit.
• Market note: UCLA had “by far its most money to use in the portal.”

“Dent got paid millions and deservedly so because he was, you know, among the most highly sought after guards in the country and Cronin, his staff got it done.” — Matt Norlander [12:56]

4. Team Outlook: Top 10 Ranking Debate

• Gary Parrish: Ranks UCLA #10 in Top 25 And 1; Torvik computer model has them #9.
• Norlander: Skeptical about Top 10 height but concedes Top 20 is certain. Questions whether Dent can be a Top 8 player in the country.
• Noted: None of UCLA’s projected five starters began their careers at UCLA; reflection on the transfer era.

“This would have never happened in a different era of college basketball…But it is unusual relative to the history of UCLA, but not that abnormal given where we are in the sport.” — Gary Parrish [17:48]

5. Individual Standouts and Chemistry

• Donovan Dent: Averaged 20.4 pts, 6.4 assists, 2.3 boards last season at New Mexico; “one of my 5ish favorite players to watch in college basketball last season.” — Norlander [18:02]
• Team fit: If Dentist is a true lead guard, and Booker pops, ceiling is high.
• Roster Balance: Discussion of role players like Bildo and Daly; expectations that they thrive as 2nd/3rd options rather than go-to stars.

6. Mick Cronin’s Performance at UCLA

• Debate over fan expectations and program status.
• Norlander: Grade of “B/B+” for Cronin’s tenure; context of UCLA’s unique pressure and visibility.
• Reflection on Cronin’s authenticity and willingness to speak his mind:

  “I want guys that are genuine and, and say what they mean. And Cronin does that and he makes himself ripe for criticism, but with everything that comes with it, like, yeah, I think… he has passed the test for sure.” — Norlander [22:56]

7. Big Ten Dynamics & National Title Chase

• Four Big Ten teams in Torvik’s Top 10 (Michigan, Purdue, Illinois, UCLA).
• Ongoing narrative: Can the Big Ten end its national championship drought since 2000?
• Conversation about whether conference fans truly root for fellow league teams in March.

“Do Big Ten fans care about this?” — Norlander [27:49] “They’re aware of it, and I bet they’re tired of hearing it when they don’t do it.” — Parrish [28:30]

8. 2025–26 Schedule Breakdown

• Four major non-conference games: Arizona (Intuit Dome), Cal (San Francisco), Gonzaga (Seattle), Arizona State (home, as part of Big 12/Big Ten Challenge).
• Light travel schedule; “They only go east of Los Angeles if they really have to.”
• Cronin’s open avoidance of East Coast non-cons; bowed out of the CBS Sports Classic.
• Big Ten schedule details: No Maryland or Rutgers trips; mostly regional swings.

“I strangely respect Mick Cronin for being like, I am not going to get within 2,800 miles of the Statue of Liberty this season. It’s not happening, period. You can’t make me do it.” — Norlander [31:13]

9. Win Total Predictions and NCAA Tournament Outlook

• Hosts set the over/under for UCLA regular-season wins at 23.5.
  • Gary: Picks “over” with 24–7.
  • Norlander: Takes “under” with 23–8, but still expects Top 3–4 Big Ten finish and a 3-seed ceiling.

“Mark me down for UCLA as…the last three seed. That’s what I…think they’ll do.” — Norlander [37:11]

• High expectations for Donovan Dent as an All-American candidate and Main Engine for success.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On UCLA’s transfer-heavy starting five:
  “Donovan Dent, Sky Clark, Eric Daley, Tyler Bildo, Xavier Booker – none of them started their careers at UCLA…That is unusual relative to the history of UCLA, but not that abnormal given where we are in the sport.” — Gary Parrish [17:48]

• On Cronin’s candid style:
  “I want guys that are genuine and, and say what they mean. And Cronin does that and he makes himself ripe for criticism…” — Matt Norlander [22:56]

• On expectations:
  “I just think, broadly speaking, if you get to year seven as the men’s basketball coach at UCLA, you haven’t been bad…because you can’t get here being bad.” — Parrish [23:59]

• On NCAA dreams and NIL:
  “If you can take emotion out of it, it’s just a nice story…[Dent] gets an opportunity to come back home and make millions of dollars…That’s a wonderful story to me.” — Parrish [24:45]

Timeline of Key Segments

• 03:53–07:25 — Trivia game and team reveal (UCLA)
• 08:33–09:22 — 2024–25 UCLA season recap and returning core
• 12:07–15:22 — Debate on Top 10 ranking, roster strengths, Donovan Dent’s impact
• 18:02–21:56 — In-depth player analysis: Dent, Booker, Bildo, Daly
• 21:56–24:45 — Big-picture evaluation of Mick Cronin’s UCLA tenure
• 27:03–29:49 — Big Ten’s national title drought & conference pride
• 30:12–32:44 — Detailed breakdown of non-conference and league scheduling, Cronin’s strategy
• 35:02–37:23 — Over/under win total, specific predictions, and overall season outlook

Closing

The episode closes with hosts extending thanks to contributors and fans for the shootaround series and previewing more preseason coverage. There’s also some lighthearted digression on Oasis concerts and classic logos (34:05–34:11).

Bottom Line:
UCLA represents a compelling case study for the modern transfer-heavy college team with national championship aspirations. With Donovan Dent’s return home, Mick Cronin’s uncompromising style, and a schedule shaped for success, expectations are sky-high—and the CBS crew expects the Bruins to be a major player in both the Big Ten and the national scene.