UCLA made one of the opening week's clearest challenges to the preseason order by beating No. 5 Arizona. The November 9 AP ballots show how widely that result and the Bruins' second win changed their standing: every returning voter either raised UCLA or added it to a ballot that had left it out.
Forty-five voters moved the Bruins up from an existing ranked position. Fourteen brought them into the top 25. That accounts for all 59 preseason voters, and the week's additional voter included UCLA too.
The result was a climb from 22nd to ninth, with all 60 voters ranking the Bruins. Their placements still run from fifth to 20th. Voters have reached much stronger agreement that UCLA belongs in the poll than about exactly where it belongs among the contenders.
Two Wins With Different Tests
UCLA beat Arizona 84–75 in Las Vegas on November 2. Trent Perry scored a team-high 21 points and made all 11 of his free throws. The Bruins' preseason ranking had put them 17 places below the Wildcats, giving that opening result a direct comparison with a team voters had rated much higher.
The follow-up was a 114–63 win over North Florida on November 6. Freshman Nikola Kusturica scored 29 points, 26 before halftime. UCLA thus reached the new poll with both a win over a highly ranked opponent and a 51-point victory, rather than the Arizona result standing alone.
The ballots moved Arizona in the opposite direction. Fifty-eight returning voters lowered the Wildcats and one omitted them, dropping Arizona from fifth to 12th. Every preseason voter improved UCLA's position and reduced Arizona's, although some still kept the Wildcats ahead.
Of the 59 Week 1 ballots that rank both teams, 45 put UCLA higher and 14 prefer Arizona. One additional ballot includes UCLA and omits Arizona. The head-to-head result is now reflected in the order on most ballots, with a meaningful minority retaining the opposite order.
Ninth in the Poll, Top 10 on 32 Ballots
UCLA had no preseason top-10 placements. It now has 32 of 60, just over half the panel. The other 28 voters place the Bruins from 11th through 20th.
That split is compatible with finishing ninth in a points-based poll. The aggregate order combines every ranked placement; it does not require a team to appear in the top nine on every ballot. UCLA's ninth-place finish captures a much improved collection of votes while compressing the difference between its highest and lowest placements.
Its point gain also holds up against the panel change. UCLA rose from 250 points to 925. The 59 returning voters supplied 661 of that 675-point increase, while the additional ballot contributed 14 points by placing UCLA 12th.
The new voter therefore adds to an improvement already present across the entire returning group. The bigger change is that none of the 14 preseason omissions remains.
UCLA's opening week has removed the question of whether it has broad enough support to belong in the rankings. The next question is more demanding: whether it can turn those 28 placements outside the top 10 into firmer support near the top. Its wins produced a unanimous upward response among returning voters; the range of their current rankings shows how much evaluation remains open.
Sources & Methodology
AP preseason ballots and November 9 Week 1 ballots provide the rankings and vote calculations. All 59 preseason voters return, with one additional Week 1 ballot. A raised placement compares two ranked positions; an addition is tracked separately from a preseason omission. The UCLA–Arizona comparison uses the 59 ballots ranking both, with the UCLA-only ballot reported separately. Official UCLA recaps supply the linked game accounts.
UCLA
Arizona
