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Tay’s Takedown: Freshman is bright spot in men’s basketball’s future after dull nonconference play

Freshman guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (left) did not start in the first seven contests for UCLA men’s basketball but has seen his role steadily increase since the Maui Jim Maui Invitational in November. (Tanmay Shankar/Assistant Photo editor)

By Jared Tay

Jan. 8, 2020 2:08 a.m.

This post was updated Jan. 8 at 10:19 p.m.

Bruin fans have been told time and time again one thing when it comes to the men’s basketball team – this team is young and needs time to grow.

That talking point is used so often that it’s a cliche by now.

Maybe it doesn’t help that, on the football side, coach Chip Kelly emphasized repeatedly over the course of the 2019 season that UCLA boasted 87 freshmen and sophomores.

And now, with UCLA men’s basketball (8-7, 1-1 Pac-12) 15 games into its own season, coach Mick Cronin has started to echo the same sentiments about the youth on his squad. To be fair, Cronin doesn’t claim the inexperience as an excuse – just a reality for the team.

But for Bruin fans, it’s hard to see the supposed light at the end of the tunnel.

UCLA finished its nonconference slate with a 7-6 record, with historic losses to Hofstra and Cal State Fullerton defining the first two months of the season. It hasn’t been a pretty start for the Bruins, with early play featuring an inconsistent defense and an offense that regularly turns the ball over.

There has been one player, however, that should give Bruin fans hope.

In the midst of the Bruins’ struggles, it has been easy to see promise in freshman guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. The freshman wasn’t a starter in the first seven contests for the Bruins but has since taken full advantage of each opportunity presented to him.

Against Division II Chaminade at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, Jaquez did not get the start but played the most minutes out of any Bruin on the floor – starters included. That day, Jaquez scored 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the floor.

That performance was good enough to earn him a start against then-No. 3 Michigan State. Jaquez posted just seven points in the game but did his part on the glass, grabbing eight rebounds on the day.

But immediately after the Bruins cut back to the mainland, Jaquez seemed to pick up right where he left off against Chaminade.

The freshman put up 18 points against San Jose State on Dec. 1, going 7-of-10 from the field. In the following game against Denver, Jaquez put up similar numbers with 16 points, shooting 58.3% on the night.

To be fair, putting up double-digit figures against competition like Chaminade, San Jose State and Denver isn’t cause for a big celebration. Facing off against tougher opponents – like most recently Notre Dame, North Carolina and Washington – Jaquez has seen his offensive output dip, consistently shooting under 40%.

But what stands out are his hustle plays, his ability to force deflections and his knack for creating steals. His willingness to throw himself on the hardwood for a loose ball, or push his teammates to get on the same page and elevate their level of play has earned him a spot in the starting five.

It’s that commitment to his team that Cronin will need from his players if he is to rebuild the basketball program. After UCLA arguably hit rock bottom after its loss to Cal State Fullerton, Cronin said his team will need to learn the meaning of humility – if all his players are concerned with their personal stats instead of executing for the team, the results won’t change.

Jaquez is the Bruin who exemplifies the selfless qualities needed to produce that change. While he may not be stuffing the stat sheets on any given night, his dedication to serving any role for the team – like his journey from the bench, to sixth man, to starter – shows his high level of maturity for someone just beginning his collegiate career.

Jaquez is the embodiment of the Bruin culture that Cronin is trying to instill within the program. And while his personal character won’t necessarily translate into wins in his freshman record books, it’s a starting point.

It’s frustrating to see the program struggle, and it’s annoying to constantly hear about the undeveloped youth that fills UCLA men’s basketball.

But Jaquez’s veteran mentality and physicality are the beginnings to proving the narrative wrong – that he and the youth movement are not a burden, but rather a reason for the Bruin nation to have hope for the future.

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Jared Tay | Sports senior staff
Tay is currently a Sports senior staff writer on the men's basketball beat. He was previously an assistant Sports editor for the baseball, men's soccer, men's tennis, cross country and women's tennis beats. Tay was previously a contributor on the men's tennis beat.
Tay is currently a Sports senior staff writer on the men's basketball beat. He was previously an assistant Sports editor for the baseball, men's soccer, men's tennis, cross country and women's tennis beats. Tay was previously a contributor on the men's tennis beat.
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