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Shooting guard Will McClendon commits to UCLA men’s basketball

Four-star shooting guard Will McClendon committed to UCLA men’s basketball Tuesday afternoon. McClendon is a junior at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Courtesy of Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

By Sam Connon

Jan. 21, 2020 6:22 p.m.

This post was updated Jan. 22 at 4:10 p.m.

Coach Mick Cronin has reeled in his second recruit since joining the Bruins, but the fresh face won’t be making his debut in Pauley Pavilion for over a year.

UCLA men’s basketball picked up its first commit in the class of 2021 when four-star shooting guard Will McClendon chose to join the Bruins late Tuesday afternoon. McClendon’s decision boosted UCLA’s 2021 class up to No. 13 in the country and No. 2 in the Pac-12, behind only Washington.

McClendon picked up 13 official Division 1 offers before he even wrapped up his junior season at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 6-foot-3 wing is the No. 137 recruit in 247Sports’ composite rankings, but he comes in at No. 77 on the Top247 list, No. 59 on ESPN and No. 41 in Rivals’ national rankings.

Despite all three 247Sports insiders predicting McClendon to sign with Ole Miss back in October, the two-guard picked UCLA over it, Illinois, Arizona, Texas Tech and others.

 

McClendon said the relationship he has recently built with Cronin is one of the main reasons he picked the Bruins.

“I chose UCLA due to coach Cronin, the relationship I have with him, it just felt like we knew each other for so long,” McClendon said to 247Sports on Tuesday. “The winning tradition and alumni is something I want to be a part of as well as the academics, location and opportunity.”

McClendon – who is known as a physical perimeter defender with the ability to score from deep – said he was ready to be a part of the next championship team in Westwood.

“I want to win a national championship, but there’s steps,” McClendon said to 247Sports. “First we have to win a Pac-12 championship.”

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Sam Connon | Alumnus
Connon joined the Bruin as a freshman in 2017 and contributed until he graduated in 2021. He was the Sports editor for the 2019-2020 academic year, an assistant Sports editor for the 2018-2019 academic year and spent time on the football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, men's soccer, cross country, men's golf and women's golf beats, while also contributing movie reviews for Arts & Entertainment.
Connon joined the Bruin as a freshman in 2017 and contributed until he graduated in 2021. He was the Sports editor for the 2019-2020 academic year, an assistant Sports editor for the 2018-2019 academic year and spent time on the football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, men's soccer, cross country, men's golf and women's golf beats, while also contributing movie reviews for Arts & Entertainment.
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