M. basketball: UCLA expected to sign top basketball recruits
By Colin Yuhl
Nov. 11, 2003 9:00 p.m.
Today is an important day for UCLA basketball, but not so much
out of the fact that the Bruins are opening their season in an
exhibition against EA Sports.
“The most exciting thing about (today) is signing day.
We’re excited about the players we’re going to
get,” coach Ben Howland said.
NCAA regulations prevented Howland from giving names Tuesday,
but the UCLA basketball coach couldn’t help but express his
eager anticipation of his first batch of recruits headed to
Westwood.
The Bruins are expected to sign four national-caliber level
players to letters of intent, highlighted by Jordan Farmar, a
6-foot-2 point guard that was rated as the No. 1 point guard on the
West Coast by PrepWestHoops.com. He is also a consensus top-20
overall player.
“I can help turn the program to the way it should
be,” Farmar said. “A lot of great names have played at
UCLA, and I’d like to be a part of that.”
Farmar’s decision was heavily influenced by
Howland’s hiring. Farmar has already said he would likely
never have attended UCLA if former coach Steve Lavin was still the
head of the program.
“I just didn’t like the way the program was heading
under Lavin. Howland brings toughness, identity and desire.
Practices are much tougher around him,” Farmar said.
“He’s there to go to war.”
As a junior at Woodland Hills’ Taft High, Farmar averaged
27 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds.
“I sat back, looked at everything with family and friends
close by, and to be able to get a degree from one of the best
schools in the country made my choice easier.”
Farmar is the jewel in an already solid recruiting class. Arron
Afflalo, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Compton Centennial, was
rated the No. 1 shooting guard by PrepWestHoops.com, and the No. 35
player overall in the nation by TheInsiders.com.
Lorenzo Mata, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Huntington Park,
South Gate High was the No. 2 power forward in the West and No. 23
nationally.
Josh Shipp, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Fairfax High rounds
out the recruiting class. He is the brother of Joe Shipp, who
played at California the past four years.
The early signing period runs from today to Nov. 19. Look for
more recruiting updates throughout the week.
