Champion center decides on UCLA

Wednesday, May 6, 1998

Champion center decides on UCLA

MEN’S: Bruins have premier recruiting class according to
expert

By Brent Boyd

Daily Bruin Staff

The UCLA basketball team added the final piece to its recruiting
puzzle Tuesday.

Dan Gadzuric, a 6-foot, 11-inch senior from Governor Dummer
Academy in Massachusetts and a member of both the Parade and
McDonald’s All-American teams, signed a letter of intent with the
Bruins a day after he declared his decision in a Monday press
conference.

Although UCLA was long considered his top college choice, he had
been considering a jump into the NBA, bypassing college
entirely.

"It was a very hard decision. I had to decide which is best," he
said.

"Before I chose college over the NBA, I wanted to figure out
where I’ll be ranked at. I figured out where I’ll be drafted, which
is somewhere between 10 and 15."

A native of Holland, which is also where his parents reside,
Gadzuric felt comfortable in his UCLA visit.

"UCLA reminded me of home," he said. "I met the players there
and they were very kind. They have a young coaching staff and they
were very kind to me."

Other finalists included Kansas, Kentucky, George Washington,
California, and Connecticut.

"(Gadzuric) is the premier center in the nation," UCLA head
coach Steve Lavin said. "This class, in addition to last year’s,
gives us a foundation that allows us to continue to be competitive
with the nation’s elite programs."

In fact, at least one recruiting "expert" says UCLA’s class is
the best in the nation.

"UCLA edges DePaul for the top recruiting class in the nation,"
Clark Francis, the editor of Hoop Scoop – a scouting service –
said. "UCLA is at the top of the mountain right now. No one has
recruited better the last couple of years."

In his final season at Governor Dummer, he averaged nearly a
triple-double – 21 points, 17 rebounds, and 7 blocked shots,
leading the school to a 23-6 record and the Class C State
Championship.

Gadzuric will join four other recruits in this star-laden
class.

The others include two other McDonald’s All-Americans –
6-foot-7-inch forward JaRon Rush from Kansas City, and
6-foot-5-inch guard Ray Young from St. Joseph Notre Dame in
Alameda.

UCLA also signed Jerome Moiso, a 6-foot-10-inch forward from
Connecticut. Moiso is the No. 8 prep prospect in the nation,
according to the Sporting News and the nation’s top shot
blocker.

Finally, 6-foot-8-inch forward Matt Barnes (who holds the
California record with 23 blocked shots in one game) committed to
UCLA in the early signing period.

The Bruins have one more scholarship available, but it is likely
to remain unused.

Bruin wire services contributed to this report.