Whether Southern Californians are UCLA fans are not, there is plenty of reason for the region to get behind the Bruins after their 86-80 overtime victory over Michigan State on Thursday night.
This UCLA team’s success isn’t just a reflection on the happenings in Westwood under coach Mick Cronin — it’s a reflection of the talent spread out across the entire Los Angeles prep basketball scene and the work of countless coaches and influences in the area.
Six of the seven UCLA players who tabbed double-digit minutes Thursday played high school basketball in Southern California. Cody Riley (Sierra Canyon), Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Camarillo), Johnny Juzang (Harvard-Westlake), Jules Bernard (Windward), David Singleton (Bishop Montgomery) and Jaylen Clark (Etiwanda) all carried the flag for L.A. basketball.
It was Jaquez who made the biggest statement on the national stage with a career-high 27 points. Juzang, the Kentucky transfer, had 23 as well.
