Bruins add new guard
By Matt Stevens
Jan. 5, 2009 10:01 p.m.
Former McDonald’s All-American Jasmine Dixon transferred to UCLA and began class Monday, women’s basketball coach Nikki Caldwell announced Monday night.
Dixon, a 5-foot-11-inch guard from Long Beach Poly High School, was considering UCLA during her senior season, but eventually chose to enroll at Rutgers.
But after five games as a Scarlet Knight, Dixon decided to transfer to UCLA. Because she transferred at the beginning of winter quarter, NCAA regulations do not allow her to compete for the Bruins until the completion of fall quarter in 2009. While she waits, however, she is allowed to participate in practice.
“Obviously, Jasmine is such a talented young lady,” Caldwell said. “She is somebody who is going to bring some more toughness to our team and some more competitiveness to our team. She will be starting up practicing with our team in a couple of days.”
Dixon is the third guard the Bruins have landed in the past few weeks. Both of Caldwell’s major recruits this year were guards, but Caldwell said that Dixon is a very versatile player who brings her signature defensive and rebounding tenacity to the court.
After her senior season in 2008, Dixon was named a first-team prep All-American by multiple publications as well as the 2008 Gatorade California Player of the Year and the Los Angeles Times Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year.
