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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 · IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When we talk about players who are exceeding expectations within UCLA's roster, fans and analysts will instantly think of 17-year old freshman Nikola Kusturica, and rightfully so. However, another Bruin has quietly been exceptional for UCLA so far this season and has not gotten the proper recognition that his game deserves.

Jaylen Petty Shines Early

Texas Tech transfer Jaylen Petty has done exactly what he was brought to Westwood to do, and then some so far for the Bruins this season. The stat that immediately jumps out as a signal that he's been exceptional is his plus-minus. For those who don't know what a plus-minus stat is, it's the number of points his team scored with him on the court, minus the number of points the opponent scored with him on the court.

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Mar 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Jaylen Petty (11) drives against Akron Zips guard Shammah Scott (1) and guard Sharron Young (3) in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect · IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So far this season, Petty has a +120, the highest of any player in the nation, according to EvanMiya. Now the majority of UCLA players have a very high plus-minus due to the large margin of victories they have, they've had so far in their three-game season. But Petty stands above everyone else in college basketball thus far.

Petty's Role at UCLA

Petty was brought to UCLA to give this team an offensive identity, and while he's been effective as a shooter for the Bruins and certainly been inspiring on the offensive end, he's also been more of an all-around player than fans may have initially imagined. Petty's been able to get active in the rebounding battle as well as be a reliable distributor for this Bruins team, making an impact on all areas of the court.

Through his first three games, Petty is averaging 17 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 51.4 percent from the field. He's also been solid as a defender, as has everyone else on the Bruins roster. But Petty has played a considerable amount of minutes for this team so far this season, as it reflects the trust and reliance Mick Cronin has in his starting shooting guard.

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Nov 6, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin in the second half against the North Florida Ospreys at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect · IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The good thing about Petty is that he is still a young and raw player who I believe will continue to get better as the season goes on and become an even more polished defender and efficient scorer. Last season at Texas Tech, Petty got better as the year went on and was considerably reliable in the major matchups that the Red Raiders faced. If Petty can bring that same reliability to UCLA, as he's already shown, this team can continue to surpass expectations.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as UCLA Basketball Has One Star Not Getting Enough Attention.

Source: Yahoo Sports