UCLA Basketball in Mix for 5-Star As Recruitment Heats Up

One elite prospect has narrowed his list down to four.

Mar 22, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; The UCLA Bruins mascot cheers during the first half of the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the UCLA Bruins in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jalen Davis sweepstakes are heating up, and UCLA remains right in the midst of what is now a four-team race for the talented point guard out of Bremerton, Washington.

According to the 24/7 Sports Composite Rating, Davis is listed as a five-star and 17th in the country. He's listed as a combo guard and ranked fourth at his position and first in the state of Washington.

Jalen Davis' Top 4 Schools

Bremerton’s Jalen Davis holds up a two as the team shows love to their crowd after winning their second state in Yakima on Saturday, March 7, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Recently, the elite recruit narrowed his list down to his top four schools, with a surprising final four: North Carolina, UCLA, Gonzaga, and Washington. All four seemingly remain heavily in the mix for Davis. What's interesting about his final four is that both Stanford and Iowa have been essentially replaced by Washington, a school that was reportedly not on Davis's list for quite some time.

Within Davis's final four, there seems to be a very clear theme, with one noticeable outsider. Being from Bremerton, Washington, Davis clearly has a major interest in schools close to home, as UCLA, Gonzaga, and Washington remain in his top four.

On the opposite side of the country, North Carolina does still remain a very serious contender for Davis, as the Tar Heels hosted him for a visit that reportedly went well on October 3rd. Since his visit to Chapel Hill, Davis has visited UCLA on October 16th and will visit Gonzaga this upcoming weekend on November 7th.

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin reacts in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One thing to note: Davis has not officially visited Washington during his recruitment, but I would certainly expect that the Huskies will get something lined up sooner rather than later.

Bruins' Lack of Recruiting

The Bruins haven't picked up a ton of steam on the recruiting trail for many of the top recruits in the class of 2027, and Davis would certainly be a massive freshman landing for Mick Cronin and his staff. Although I'm not sure that the Bruins are as heavily invested in freshman recruiting and seemingly would rather put their resources towards the transfer portal and international prospects. This is becoming a more common theme around college basketball and could certainly be the case for Mick Cronin and the Bruins.

Regardless, UCLA finds itself right in the midst of a potential recruiting battle that seems to be heating up as we continue to learn more about it in the coming weeks. Davis would be a phenomenal prospect to land in Westwood, but the Bruins find themselves in a recruiting battle with some quality competitors in the recruiting game.