2017 Target Gary Trent Jr. SG 6-5 200 (Prolific Prep, Napa, CA; Apple Valley, MN) - ESPN #8

UCLA makes Final Four cut

Gary Trent Jr. Sets Four Official Visits

By Adam Zagoria | Sep 18 | 9:41AM | Article Link

Trent Jr. recently cut his list to include those four schools plus Kentucky.

"In no order I'm down to: Arizona, Duke, Michigan State, UCLA and Kentucky," he wrote on his recent USA Today blog. "I have four of the visits locked down and I have to plan one more then I'll release all those dates.

"I'm definitely looking forward to those visits!

"I want to see the campus life, talk to the coaches about what they can do for my life, hangout with the team and things like that. I just want to see everything firsthand basically."

Trent Jr. opted to transfer to Prolific Prep from Findlay Prep (NV) before the season.

"I was texting with Josh Jackson before I went out to Prolific Prep because that's his old school and I knew he'd keep it real with me," he wrote. "He had nothing but positive things to say about it and everything he said was true.

"We're gonna be strong; we've got a great point guard in Paul Scruggs, he's in the top 30 of the 2017 class. Then we've got another player who's not in the top 100 but should be, his name is Abu Kigab. He played on the Canadian U18 National team in Chile this summer. He's a great player that does all the little things that most players don't want to do.

"We got another couple big men and a young point guard who's really smart so I'm really looking forward to the season. I feel like we're gonna win a lot of games."

Prolific Prep coach Billy McKnight told me:

"Paul, fits the mold perfectly for the type of guard we look to bring in at Prolific Prep," he said. "He's a high assist to turnover player whose unselfish play and scoring ability makes everyone around him better. He's been blessed with great size for a point guard standing 6-3 with a 6-10.5 wingspan. We couldn't be happier to have him here to add to our already incredibly competitive practices."

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Just last month...

Gary Trent Jr. transfers from Findlay Prep (Nev.) to Prolific Prep (Calif.)

By Jason Jordan, USA TODAY High School Sports August 28, 2016 | Article Link

Just weeks after losing its head coach, Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) lost its best player, new transfer Gary Trent Jr.

The 6-foot-6 shooting guard announced via Twitter that he would be leaving the Pilots to attend Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.).

 Follow

GARY TRENT JR 𓅓⁶ @THAT_KID_GARY

With changes @findlayprepbbal, my family + I have decided to attend @ProlificPrep after being floored by program. Serious players must look

12:06 PM - 28 Aug 2016 · Napa, CA, United States

 
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“I’m excited,” Trent told USA TODAY High School Sports. “We have some great pieces. Can’t wait to fit them together.”

This summer, Trent, who is ranked No. 8 overall in the ESPN 100, led Howard Pulley (Minn.) to a dominant 16-2 record in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League regular season. He finished third in scoring (22.2 ppg.).

In two years at Apple Valley (Minn.), where he played before announcing his initial transfer to Findlay Prep, Trent led the Eagles to a 60-4 record and won a state title in 2015.

Last season, Trent averaged 26 points per game and led the Eagles to the state semis.

Coach Andy Johnson left Findlay to join former Findlay head coach Todd Simon’s staff at Southern Utah. Paul Washington Sr., father of five-star forward P.J. Washington, was named head coach.

ESPN Recruiting info prior to Kentucky scratch (link)

2017 Target Cody Riley PF 6-7 260 (Sierra Canyon HS, Chatsworth, CA) - ESPN #45

from SLAM #201 Sept 2016 

from ESPN Recruiting (link)

Sierra Canyon's stacked 2016-17 roster including ESPN #1 player for 2018 and UCLA target Marvin Bagley III (from MaxPreps, link). 

UCLA Outlasts Brisbane Bullets in Australia, 94-91

game highlights c/o baller vision 2



for complete game go to link 


AUGUST 29, 2016 | UCLA MEN'S BASKETBALL WEBSITE | ARTICLE LINK

box score

photo gallery

Aaron Holiday scored 17 points as the Bruins rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half.

BRISBANE, Australia – Aaron Holiday totaled a team-high 17 points to help the UCLA men's basketball team earn a 94-91 win over the Brisbane Bullets before a capacity crowd at the Logan Metro Indoor Sports Centre on Monday night.

Holiday, who made nine of 10 free throws, was one of four Bruins to score in double figures. Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton each had 16 points, while Ike Anigbogu registered 13 points and 10 rebounds, including seven offensive boards.

Thomas Welsh finished two points shy of a double-double, logging eight points and a team-leading 11 rebounds.

Brisbane's Daniel Kickert registered a team-high 17 points for the National Basketball League squad that was playing its first preseason game since resurrecting its organization. The Bullets left the NBL in 2008 and will rejoin the league this season.

UCLA's win came after some an interesting final sequence.

The Bruins led 94-91 after Holiday made a pair of free throws with five seconds to play. Brisbane inbounded the ball and raced down the court before guard Ryan Vines heaved a wild desperation three-point shot, but UCLA's Bryce Alford was whistled for the foul. That sent Vines to the free throw line with a chance to even the score.

Vines missed each of his first two free throw attempts and appeared to intentionally miss the final shot before UCLA'sIke Anigbogu grabbed the rebound to seal the victory.

With Monday night's win, UCLA closed its three-game trip to Australia with two wins and one loss.

"This is what we really needed and wanted in a foreign trip," UCLA head coach Steve Alford said. "Our guys were tested. I'm really glad that we won this last game. Even had we lost, it would have been a really good trip for us. But obviously, I'm glad that our guys got some momentum with this win tonight."

Earlier in their overseas trip, the Bruins earned a 123-76 win at Sydney University on Aug. 23 before dropping an 89-84 decision to the Melbourne United of the NBL on Aug. 27. UCLA's three games in Australia will help the team prepare for its preseason practices in October.

"We're further ahead with what we want to do offensively and with the basis of what we'd like to do on defense," Coach Alford said. "We'll come home with three games of really good film, particularly with those last two games against Melbourne and Brisbane. Between those two games against pro teams, we will have 80 minutes of really good film to show our guys and break down with one month before our preseason gets started."

Monday's victory didn't come easy for UCLA. The host Bullets led throughout much of the first half and entered halftime with a 51-49 cushion, only after Alford nailed a 3-pointer with one second left in the second quarter to trim the gap to two points.

In fact, the Bruins trailed by as many as 11 points with 4:18 to pay in the second quarter. The first quarter featured three lead changes before Brisbane claimed a 19-17 lead with 4:46 remaining. The Bullets never trailed until early in the third quarter.

Down by a 52-51 margin just 25 seconds into the third quarter, Brisbane used a 6-0 scoring run to lead 57-52 and pushed its cushion to as many as 10 points – 66-56 – with five minutes left in the frame.

Anigbogu converted an old-fashioned 3-point play at the 1:07 mark, making the score 71-66 in Brisbane's favor. A basket by Hamilton with one second left in the third followed by another score from Hamilton to open the fourth quarter reduced Brisbane's advantage to 75-73.

But the most notable sequence to lift the Bruins came from Bryce Alford and Lonzo Ball. Alford pulled the trigger on a sensational step-back 3-pointer to tie the game, 79-79, with 7:26 remaining and Ball immediately followed with a deep ball of his own, giving UCLA an 82-79 lead. The Bruins never trailed from that point.

Brisbane twice tied the contest – at 82-82 and 84-84 – before Anigbogu scored with 4:26 remaining to push UCLA ahead, 86-84.

"We didn't play too well in the beginning," Holiday said. "But we started to really dig in during that second half, started to play tougher on defense, and we got going. It's great that we got the win."

Holiday's tenacity on both sides of the ball was critical for the Bruins. The sophomore guard stuffed the stat sheet for UCLA, totaling four rebounds, three blocks, two steals and two assists.

"I thought that he was a pitbull," Coach Alford said. "He really competed. With Isaac in some foul trouble there in the second half, I thought that Aaron really fought through, having to play some extended minutes. He did some great things for us at both ends of the floor."

Monday's win helped the Bruins cap the basketball portion of their 10-day trip abroad. As for Tuesday, the team's final full day in Australia, the surf and sand is on the team's itinerary.

Staying at a hotel adjacent to the shores of the Gold Coast, members of the Bruins' travel party will have opportunities to partake in surfing lessons on Tuesday afternoon.

As for the chance of a "surf-off" contest between any coaches or players?

"Spending the day at Surfer's Paradise, some of us are trying to get a surf-off going between Alec Wulff and Coach Broussard," Coach Alford joked. "And I can't wait to see that."

For the latest updates about the team's trip in Australia, follow the Bruins' official social media accounts in addition to uclabruins.com. Updates will are being provided on Twitter (@UCLAMBB), Instagram (UCLAMBB), Facebook (facebook.com/uclamensbasketball) and Snapchat (uclambb).

For all the reports from Australia 2016 go to link. 

Men's Basketball Edged by Melbourne United, 89-84

game videos c/o the melbourne united basketball club 

1st quarter
sr Isaac Hamilton restrains So aaron holiday from further jawin' at the 15:55 mark


2nd QUARTER



3rd QUARTER


4th QUARTER

AUGUST 27, 2016 | UCLA MEN'S BASKETBALL WEBSITE | ARTICLE LINK

BOX SCORE


PHOTO GALLERY


Senior guards Isaac Hamilton and Bryce Alford each scored a team-leading 18 points.

MELBOURNE, Australia – Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton each scored 18 points as the UCLA men's basketball team fell to Melbourne United, 89-84, before a capacity crowd at State Basketball Centre on Saturday evening.

Playing their second of three games during a 10-day offseason trip to Australia, the Bruins led by a 40-37 margin at halftime. Melbourne United outscored UCLA by a 31-20 margin in the third quarter, and the Bruins were unable to tie the contest in the final period.

Melbourne United's David Barlow and Owen Odigie each scored a team-leading 16 points.

Aaron Holiday finished with 16 points and Thomas Welsh totaled 10, rounding out UCLA's list of double-figure scorers. Hamilton dished a team-leading five assists and scored 16 of his 18 points before halftime.

Lonzo Ball scored eight points and led the Bruins with 13 rebounds, including five offensive boards.

Saturday's game featured an opponent with significantly more basketball experience than the Bruins' Tuesday night opponent, Sydney University. Melbourne United is one of eight professional Australian basketball teams in the National Basketball League, or NBL. UCLA will face another NBL team, the Brisbane Bullets, on Monday evening.

After having cruised to a 123-76 win in Sydney, UCLA was locked in a see-saw battle with Melbourne United on Saturday. The game featured 10 lead changes, including three in the third quarter.

"This was good for us, and it's a big reason why we take trips like this," UCLA head coach Steve Alford said. "We are probably going to get a similar challenge when we're in Brisbane. Our players are going up against pros, against grown men."

Hamilton had an impressive first half for the Bruins, a half that ended with the senior guard nailing a buzzer-beating floater to put UCLA ahead, 40-37. His shot pushed his first-half point total to 16 points and helped the Bruins finish the second quarter on a 17-3 scoring run through the final five minutes.

For Hamilton, the team is still coming together. But he says he's been encouraged by what he has seen through the first two games.

"This feels like a new team," said Hamilton, who averaged a team-leading 16.8 points per game last season. "There are going to be mistakes, some turnovers. That type of stuff is going to happen. But overall, I thought that we played pretty well for this being our second game playing together."

Melbourne United claimed the lead for good midway through the third quarter. Trailing 53-48 with 7:05 to play in the period, Melbourne United used an 11-5 run to lead 59-58 at the 3:53 mark. The host team closed the third quarter with a 9-2 scoring run to push its advantage to 68-60.

UCLA reduced the gap to 78-76 with 4:01 remaining. Melbourne United saw its 76-66 cushion reduced to just two points midway through the final period. Six of the Bruins' 10 points during a span of 2:25 were scored by Holiday, including a fastbreak dunk that electrified the crowd.

Melbourne United followed with a layup before Nate Tomlinsion's 3-pointer put the host team ahead 83-76. From that point, the Bruins never closed the gap to fewer than five points.

Bryce Alford had a strong shooting performance after having opened the game making just one of six shots. The senior from Albuquerque, N.M., finished the game having made 6 of 12 total shots. He went 6-for-9 from 3-point range.

"Mentally, I'm always the same," he said. "With the experiences that I've had here the last three seasons, I have a strong mental game. I don't worry about that. I can start a game missing who knows how many shots, but I have the confidence in myself that I'm going to end up hitting shots. It's just about finding good ones."

UCLA twice overcame modest first-half deficits. Down 10-4 in the first four minutes, the Bruins clawed back, taking a 14-12 lead on a basket from Hamilton. Minutes later, a jump shot from Welsh put the Bruins ahead 22-19 before Melbourne United used a 13-0 run to secure a 32-22 lead.

Alford helped ignite the team's next rally, hitting a 3-pointer to cut an 11-point deficit to 34-26 with 4:54 left in the second quarter. Consecutive baskets from Ball, Welsh and Hamilton trimmed Melbourne United's lead to 35-33.

Asked about the production from his two seniors guards, Coach Alford pointed to their past experience playing a pivotal role.

"Isaac did a good job of getting us going early," Coach Alford said. "He and Bryce can really score the basketball, and need to have that. They are veteran guards. Those guys have to play at a high level, and I thought tonight they did that."

Up next for UCLA is a Sunday morning flight to Brisbane. The Bruins will head to Gold Coast for the final three days of their trip in Australia. UCLA returns to the court against the Brisbane Bullets on Monday, Aug. 29. Game time is 7 p.m. (local time) at Logan Metro Indoor Sports Center (2 a.m. PT in Los Angeles).

For the latest updates about the Bruins' travels, follow the team's official social media channels in addition to uclabruins.com. Updates will be provided on Twitter (@UCLAMBB), Instagram (UCLAMBB), Facebook (facebook.com/uclamensbasketball) and Snapchat (uclambb).

For all the reports from Australia 2016 go to link. 

UCLA Registers 123-76 Win at Sydney University

complete game video c/o australian sports network 



AUGUST 23, 2016 | UCLA MEN'S BASKETBALL WEBSITE | ARTICLE LINK

final stats

PHOTO GALLERY

Lonzo Ball, TJ Leaf and Ike Anigbogu make their UCLA debuts in Sydney, Australia.

SYDNEY, Australia – Seven Bruins scored in double figures as the UCLA men's basketball team cruised past Sydney University, 123-76, before a capacity crowd at Brydens Stadium on Tuesday night.
 
More than 48 hours after arriving in Sydney on Sunday morning, the Bruins didn't waste any time in sharing the ball and taking a double-digit lead in the first quarter. UCLA finished with 33 assists on 49 made field goals and tallied 18 blocks.
 
Playing four 10-minute quarters, the Bruins used a 9-0 run to lead 22-10 after a 3-pointer by Isaac Hamilton with 3:13 to go in the opening period. UCLA's cushion never fell to fewer than 10 points.
 
UCLA's three incoming freshmen accounted for 46 of the Bruins' 123 points. TJ Leaf finished with 21 points, while Ike Anigbogu had 16 and Lonzo Ball totaled nine.
 
In his first game wearing the blue and gold, Ball elicited the loudest cheers from the crowd even as the game was out of reach. With UCLA ahead, 114-69, he stole the ball at midcourt with 3:29 to play and outran one defender before throwing down a slick one-handed jam – one of many dunks for the Bruins on Tuesday. After the game, he was only thinking about UCLA's next game.
 
"We came out and did what we're supposed to do," said Ball, a 6-foot-6 guard from Chino Hills, Calif. "Now we've got to go back, get some rest, go to the next city and do the same thing. It's all about taking this day by day, because it's a long journey."
 
UCLA head coach Steve Alford, entering his fourth season at the helm in Westwood, was encouraged with the performance of the team's three freshmen.
 
"They were outstanding, all three of them – Ike, Lonzo and TJ," Coach Alford said. "We know what they can do. They came here in their first exhibition game and all three played very well."
 
The Bruins' returning players were equally impressive in a balanced offensive attack. Senior guards Isaac Hamilton andBryce Alford tallied 18 and 17 points, respectively. Junior G.G. Goloman and sophomore Alex Olesinski each scored 11 points, while junior Thomas Welsh made each of his first four shots – all in the first quarter – and finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
 
The balance and firepower between UCLA's newcomers and veterans was more than apparent for the 2,000-plus fans in attendance on Tuesday night.
 
"A lot of the vets on this team have experienced the good, and then they experienced the bad last year," Coach Alford said. "They know which taste tastes better. When you put three very good freshmen in that mix, if we can stay healthy, I think we'll be a team that continues to get better."
 
UCLA led by a 29-16 margin after the first quarter and opened the second period with a 19-3 scoring run to lead, 48-19 at the 3:13 mark. The Bruins entered their locker room at halftime ahead, 58-28. UCLA kept its foot on the gas pedal in the third quarter, staking itself to a 39-point lead moving into the final period (91-52).
 
After weeks of summer practices and intersquad scrimmages, Tuesday's game came as a welcome change of pace for the Bruins.
 
"We've been looking forward to this because you get tired of going up against your teammates on a regular basis in the offseason," Bryce Alford said. "Finally, we all got to be on the same team together and got to see how we're going to mesh."
 
UCLA had no issues meshing in its first exhibition contest. The Bruins churned out 33 assists and committed just eight turnovers. Holiday was responsible for nine of those assists, finishing with 10 rebounds, eight points and three blocks in a team-high 26 minutes.
 
"I thought we played well today, and once we get to that next game, we'll just have to build from there," said Holiday, who averaged 10.6 points in all 32 games last season. "By the time we get to our third game on this trip, we should be at our best. It's not going to take long to get more comfortable with each other."
 
Not only were the points evenly distributed along UCLA's offense, the minutes were too. The Bruins employed different starting lineups between each half and will continue to tinker with various combinations. No player had more than 27 minutes on the court.
 
Moving forward, the Bruins will have three days without a game before returning to action against the Melbourne United on Saturday evening.
 
"I thought that this was a tremendous start," Coach Alford said. "It was very similar to what we have seen in practice. We have high-level guys with a lot of talent who can really score the basketball."
 
With his first game under his felt, Leaf was encouraged with his new team's initial impressions. The 6-foot-9 forward from El Cajon, Calif., made 10 of 18 shots, including one 3-pointer, and grabbed nine rebounds.
 
"It was so much fun to be on the court with all of my guys," Leaf said. "With that first game, you're wondering how it's going to go. But it definitely went well, and I'm excited to see where that can take us."
 
As for improvements?
 
"Well, we need to get a lot better on defense," Leaf added. "From reading screens, to reading a lot of other things. We can't let teams go baseline like they did. Our offense looked good, and we're proud of that. But we know we have to keep working on defense so that we're in top shape this fall."
 
UCLA will remain in Sydney on Wednesday before making the 90-minute flight south toward Melbourne on Thursday. Until then, more sightseeing is in order for the Bruins.
 
Tuesday began with a short walk to Sydney's Circular Quay and the historic Sydney Opera House. Weather pending, Wednesday's schedule could include a trip to the world-famous Bondi Beach.
 
Fans can keep up with the team's travels in Australia by following the team's official social media channels in addition to uclabruins.com. Follow "UCLAMBB" on Twitter (@UCLAMBB), Instagram (UCLAMBB), Facebook (facebook.com/uclamensbasketball) and Snapchat (uclambb).

For all the reports from Australia 2016 go to link.