UCLA Men's Basketball: Experts Agree With Bruins' Omission From Preseason Top 25 Lists

UCLA is on the outside looking in

The first AP Top 25 poll was released this past weekend, and one basketball blue blood was left off the list. 

Despite making it to the Sweet 16 in last year's NCAA basketball tournament, UCLA is not included in the preseason top 25. 

The Bruins lost many of their starters this year as Jaime Jaques Jr. and Amari Bailey went to the NBA, and Tyger Campbell ran out of eligibility. 

Adem Bona is the only returning starter this year.

With most of the team leaving, there are a lot of unknowns going into the 2023-2024 basketball season. 

UCLA's omission from the top 25 reflects the Bruins roster's mystery.

No one completely knows exactly how UCLA will perform this year until the team finally plays a game. 

To begin the season, the team will have a couple of tune-up games to figure out the team chemistry against St Francis, LIU, and Lafayette. 

UCLA will head to Hawaii for the Maui Jim Invitational, which will be the first test for the unranked team this season. 

Their opening game is against the fifth-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles. Other teams in that tournament include Kansas, Gonzaga, Purdue, and Tennessee. 

If the Bruins can show that they can compete in their first handful of games, they will be right back in familiar territory in the top 25.

Until then, the team is on the outside looking in at the top 25 until the season officially starts on November 6.