UCLA climbs to No. 14 after beating Arizona

UCLA entered the college basketball rankings for the first time this season on Tuesday, landing at No. 14 in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 poll. The jump comes after the Bruins defeated Arizona 84-75 in a matchup that marked the start of the 2026-27 college basketball schedule.

The win was the most high-profile result of the opening weekend. Florida stayed at No. 1 following its 77-67 victory over Miami on Monday. The Bruins' performance against the Wildcats stood out because it was an unexpected upset on the first night of the season.

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin, who is in his eighth year leading the program, appeared visibly pleased with his team's performance. During a postgame interview with TNT's Allie LaForce, Cronin was smiling broadly. Brian Anderson, the network's play-by-play announcer, noted the coach's mood after the broadcast ended.

Cronin's demeanor matches observations made by reporters earlier this month. At Big Ten Media Day in Houston last month, Matt Norlander and the author noted that the 55-year-old coach seemed unusually happy and laughing during interviews. At the time, they joked that Cronin might have known his roster was stronger than the public expected.

The Bruins will continue their non-conference schedule on Friday with a home game against North Florida at Pauley Pavilion. After that matchup, UCLA will begin its Big Ten play on the first day of December. The Bruins will host Oregon for their first conference contest.

The ranking update places UCLA ahead of several teams that did not play on opening night. The move to No. 14 reflects the strength of the victory over Arizona, a team that was expected to start the season with a win. The Bruins' next test will come on Friday when they face an opponent from the Atlantic Sun Conference.