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What UCLA Is Getting with Incoming Guard Trent Perry

The Bruins struck gold with an elite local prospect.

Jason Fray

Trent Perry
Trent Perry / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
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Essentially putting the finishing touches on what's been an excellent offseason for Mick Cronin, 2024 guard Trent Perry announced his signing with the UCLA Bruins on Tuesday evening.

Perry's whirlwind recruitment saw him initially sign with crosstown rival USC. However, when Andy Enfield left for the SMU job, Perry opened things up -- thus allowing Cronin and the Bruins' staff to reestablish themselves as a viable option for the talented point guard.

Perry has been one of the better guards on the West Coast for the last two seasons. Hailing from Harvard Westlake High School -- a program that's produced the likes of Alex Stepheson (North Carolina), Jason and Jarron Collins (Stanford), and others, it cannot be overstated enough how big of a deal this is for Cronin from an optics standpoint.

"We are thrilled that Trent Perry has chosen to become a Bruin. He has had a very successful high school career at Harvard-Westlake, where he was extremely well-coached by Dave Rebibo. Time after time, he stepped up in big moments and led his team to victory. He'll graduate as a back-to-back California state champion and the Gatorade California Basketball Player of the Year, along with a host of other impressive individual accolades. Trent has established himself as a dynamic playmaker, and we believe that he has a very high ceiling as his game continues to develop. We're looking forward to having him in Westwood.

To put it plainly, the 'European' experiment didn't end up too well. Of the four freshmen brought to Westwood from overseas last year, Aday Mara is the only one still on the roster. There's a plethora of reasons why the other three (Berke Buyuktuncel, Ilane Fibleuil, Jan Vide) didn't stick. The cultural differences in not only playing across the world in another country -- but also for Cronin -- are real obstacles.

Cronin is a no-nonsense, hard-nosed individual. His program simply isn't for everyone, and the demands he makes on the defensive end of the floor are real. There's also the facet in Cronin not knowing those prospects as well as ones stateside. Obviously, he has easier access in the U.S. being able to go out and scout players in person. That luxury didn't exist with the aforementioned four.

However, as we transition back to Perry, that wasn't an issue. It was a gut punch to see him initially commit to USC in the wake of UCLA spending multiple years recruiting him. Cronin was front and center at a host of Harvard Westlake basketball games. While UCLA didn't land Perry the first time around, the addition at this given point adds an interesting element to this year's team.

Perry is a true point guard. At 6'4", he has the requisite size to be able to see over defenses. While a decent athlete, he won't be confused anytime soon with the likes of Russell Westbrook or Ja Morant on the open floor. He plays in a controlled manner -- seeking to exploit mismatches on the floor.

A very heady player, he knows when to pick his spots. If his team is struggling to get going on the offensive end, Perry is more than willing to be aggressive in scoring the basketball. He's a three-level scorer -- though he especially shines with a silky jumper.

He won the McDonald's All-American three-point contest this year. Statistically speaking, he shot a blistering 47.2 percent from beyond the arc as a high school senior. UCLA as a team last year shot only 33.2 percent from three.

The acquisition of Perry makes an already crowded backcourt a bit deeper. Dylan Andrews is slated to be the team's starting point guard in 2024-25. A rising junior, he played exceptionally well to end the year last season.

Sebastian Mack averaged 12.1 PPG as a freshman last year. He'll be back in the fold -- joined by two transfers Skyy Clark (Louisville) and Dominick Harris (LMU). Clark (13.2 PPG) and Harris (14.3 PPG) were coincidentally also double-digit scorers for their former programs. Yet another guard, fellow incoming freshman Eric Freeny -- will also be on the roster.

While Clark, Mack, and Harris can play spot minutes at the point, Perry is more of a true point guard. This could help him see minutes theoretically behind Andrews. Furthermore, Perry will see floor time if he can do these three things: take care of the ball, space the floor with shooting, and play decent on-ball defense.

It's a lot to ask of a true freshman. At the same time, he won't be forced into heavy minutes right away. Perry can ease his way into things knowing that Andrews will be the starter barring something unforeseen.

Cronin will have to balance some things with this deep backcourt. It's likely inevitable that someone will be unhappy with their respective minutes. At the same time, when given the chance to land a top-40 player nationally from your backyard, you don't think twice about it.

UCLA is now poised to have arguably the deepest roster in the sport. With depth, talent, and experience everywhere, this team should contend -- at the very least -- for a Big Ten title.

Landing Perry also sends a message to recruits in Southern California. Being the most storied program in college basketball history, Cronin is letting everyone know that the best in the area should stay home to play for UCLA.

We can only imagine what the recruiting battles will look like moving forward between Cronin and new USC head coach Eric Musselman.

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Jason Fray
JASON FRAY

Jason Fray is a proud native of Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA in 2011, he's written for a number of publications -- including Bleacher Report, FOX Sports, Saturday Down South, and New Arena. In his downtime, he enjoys writing scripts, going to shows, weekly pub trivia with the boys, trying the best hole-in-the-wall food spots around town, and traveling (22 countries & counting). 

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