Prince Ali commits to UCLA

By Reggie Rankin | ESPN.com

Updated: August 16, 2014, 9:33 PM ET
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Shooting guard Prince Ali (Pembroke Pines, Florida/The Sagemont) School), ranked No. 44 in the ESPN 100, has committed to UCLA over finalists Louisville, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Nebraska. Ali had committed to Connecticut last December before decommitting in May, which opened the door for a number of high-major programs to pursue him. That's exactly what happened.


UCLA has secured a commitment from Prince Ali (The Sagemont School; Pembroke Pines, Florida), one of the best playmakers in the Class of 2015.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound wing is a versatile scorer and defender who can excel on the break and at both guard positions. Ali is an attacking guard that competes on both ends of the floor.

Shooting guard Prince Ali, ranked No. 44 in the ESPN 100, has committed to UCLA, and he calls the Bruins his perfect fit. Story

"Perfect fit both offensively and defensively. They will give me the chance to cover the opposing team's best player," said Ali, the No. 44 overall player in the ESPN 100. "I am competitive and look forward to that challenge.

"I like Coach [Steve] Alford because he is an up-front guy, he tells me what I do well and what I need to do better. He didn't sugarcoat anything in the process."

Ali selected the Bruins over Louisville, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Maryland and Nebraska after decommitting from Connecticut in May.

Ali played extremely well this spring and summer, which allowed the high-major floodgates to open after his change of heart with UConn.

"I am setting up my official visit tonight," Ali said.

The future of the Bruins' backcourt, meanwhile, looks very promising.

Ali joins point guard Aaron Holiday, a fellow ESPN 100 selection. In addition, Alford already has Class of 2016 point guard Lonzo Ball (No. 15 in the ESPN 60) in the fold and on Friday offered point guard Derryck Thornton (No. 32 in the ESPN 60), who is coming off a tremendous spring and summer performance.

"I am thrilled about the choice of Prince Ali to UCLA because it's a great match between style of play and coach personality," said Aaron Ross, Ali's coach at The Sagemont School. "UCLA plays a fast pace on offense, they spread the floor and allow their guards to attack with plenty of pick and roll action.

"Coach Alford has been around our program for a few years and a former successful guard himself, Prince and he hit it off."


ESPN RecruitingNation national recruiting director Paul Biancardi contributed to this report.

Thanks, bruinfan13, for posting this news first on BZ.