Friday night brings UCLA basketball traveling down the 5 south freeway to San Diego State. The exhibition game that will unofficially start the 2025-2026 season will show some familiar faces and new additions for both teams. This should only add to the intrigue of this very exclusive event.
With a new season comes many other unknowns as well. So here is a refresher of the Bruins and our take of the 3 things every Aztecs fan should be aware of—if in attendance and wanting to have a better perspective of this rare matchup vs UCLA.
Coaching and conference transitions
Mick Cronin remains the head coach and is entering his seventh year at UCLA. The Bruins are now in their second year in the Big Ten Conference (after leaving the Pac-12). So it will be interesting to see if Cronin is able to take the next step with his Bruins team.
A somewhat familiar assistant coach to Aztecs fans on the UCLA staff is Rod Palmer. He has spent the previous six seasons at UCLA, and he coached at San Diego State in 2018-19.
One recurring concern is the increased travel burden associated with Big Ten games. The longer trips to the east coast which Cronin and commentators have flagged as a potential drag on consistency will be an added hurdle on Cronin’s staff and players as they try to keep their leadership & fans happy.
In a non-conference exhibition game, UCLA might try to flex depth or experiment with energy management. Also, potential future travel-related fatigue or roster rest could subtly influence how aggressively UCLA pursues all phases in this exhibition (defense, rebounding, transition).
High expectations
Going into 2025–26, UCLA is ranked No. 12 in the preseason AP poll. That’s pretty good opening expectation for the Bruins. After a 23–11 season, UCLA received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament but were eliminated in the second round by Tennessee, which led to them dropping out of the final polls.
They’ve added some impact transfers and signees to improve upon that finish. Notably, #2 Donovan Dent (from New Mexico) is expected to bring strong backcourt scoring, creation and defense. And adding the former Lobo definitely helps increase the hate factor, for sure.
Aztecs fans are plenty familiar with the spectacular point guard out of the Inland Empire’s Centennial High. Dent has been a force in his college career and his control of the offense, his mid range game and physical maturity will be a very tough guard for anyone in the country to handle.
This will be an exhibition, but the competitive juices will be flowing having Dent back in the building with his new team. It’s as if the team in Westwood was struggling so bad they needed to hire the services of a Lobo to compete against the best basketball program on the West Coast. Not a new trend for UCLA actually. Remember the Steve Alford tenure there at Westwood?
Also making their Bruin debut, #1 Xavier Booker, a 6’11” big man transfer (Michigan State), is expected to slot into the center role for the Bruins — a move many analysts believe could determine how high UCLA can rise.
His numbers don’t scream at you in his time as a Spartan, but you can clearly see he’s very long, plays with high energy, can knock down a three point shot, and can finish strong in the paint. For Bruins they have to feel confident he can take tough coaching coming from a Tom Izzo locker room as well.
UCLA added #23 Anthony Peoples Jr. (graduate transfer) also adds size at 6’9″ 230 and is out of North Carolina Central by way of Centennial High (along with Donovan Dent). Freshman #10 Markell Alston is a talented young guy to keep an eye on as well, rounds out their roster.
Context is Everything
The game will tip at 7:00 p.m. PT, at Viejas Arena on Friday, October 17. Context of the exhibition means that the venue is shifted in San Diego State’s favor and let’s face it—this holds a lot importance for us Aztecs.
This exhibition is part of a newer NCAA rule allowing “closed scrimmages” to be played publicly as exhibition games. But don’t tell Aztec Nation it doesn’t count.
Coach Brian Dutcher of SDSU has acknowledged the significance of opening the season with a high-profile matchup like UCLA. The game also offers a “first look” at the Bruins on the road (away from their home court, Pauley Pavilion)
Playing at home gives the Aztecs a little edge in familiarity and comfort. This game is more than a tune-up — it’s a showcase, a measuring stick, and a fundraiser. It may also expose early chemistry, bench depth, and how UCLA handles adversity (fouls, energy runs) in a semi-competitive setting.
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