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Jaquez frontrunner for Pac-12 Player of the Year – ‘he deserves the damn award’

Pictured is UCLA men’s basketball senior guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. With one game left in the regular season, Jaquez is considered a frontrunner for the Pac-12 Player of the Year award. (Megan Cai/Assistant Photo editor)

By Sam Settleman

March 3, 2023 5:16 p.m.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. wanted no part in commenting on his claim to the Pac-12 Player of the Year crown.

Jaylen Clark, however, wasn’t going to let the question go unanswered.

“I know he’s not going to say it, but he deserves the damn award,” the junior guard said. “I’ve guarded all the best, and he’s the hardest person I’ve had to guard by far – not even close.”

The usually quiet Tyger Campbell wanted a word too.

“Facts,” the redshirt senior guard said. “J Clark is only speaking facts.”

Even coach Mick Cronin couldn’t help but weigh in.

“Best player on the best team in the league,” Cronin said.

All eyes will be on Jaquez when No. 4 UCLA men’s basketball hosts No. 8 Arizona on Saturday night to close out the regular season – a top-10 battle that could have implications far beyond one tally in the win or loss column. The Wildcats and forward Azuolas Tubelis stand as the lone obstacle left in Jaquez’s campaign to bring the Bruins their first conference player of the year honor in 15 years.

A win for UCLA would also seal the deal on its first undefeated season at home since 2006-2007 and make a case for the Bruins to earn the top seed in the West region of the NCAA Tournament.

“A lot of the marbles is sitting on the table, if you get what I mean,” Clark said after UCLA’s win over Arizona State on Thursday night. “It’s going to be a zoo here in 48 hours.”

Just three years ago, UCLA had wrapped up a 19-12 regular season in Cronin’s first year, barely staying afloat in Pac-12 play with losses to Hofstra and Cal State Fullerton on its resume.

Clark couldn’t help but reminisce on how far the program has come.

“Now we’re talking about probably the biggest match happening in the West Coast on Saturday night,” Clark said. “It’s just crazy how much the atmosphere around here has changed.”

For Jaquez, Saturday’s showdown will likely be his last in Pauley Pavilion. He said he can’t even imagine what senior night and the accompanying celebrations will look like.

As his time in Westwood comes to a close, the likely NBA-bound senior isn’t letting any time go to waste.

“I feel like every time on the floor, I keep smiling, just so happy to be playing with all these guys,” Jaquez said. “We built something really special here.”

There might be a different story taking shape for Campbell and Clark, however. Campbell remained noncommittal about a return for a sixth season earlier in the week, with Clark noting that Saturday could potentially be Campbell’s last game in Pauley Pavilion.

When asked himself about coming back next season, Clark said he hasn’t made any decisions yet, but it wouldn’t be a shock if he returned for year four with the Bruins.

For now, however, Clark’s eyes are set on Saturday and UCLA’s date with Arizona, one that could determine the Bruins’ ultimate path to an NCAA title.

Clark may not be making plans about his future in Westwood anytime soon, but he does have his sights set on something else: a vacation in April after the national championship game.

“Anything can happen,” Clark said. “Hopefully, I’ll be talking to one of y’all five weeks from now before I go on my vacation.”

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Sam Settleman | Sports editor
Settleman was the 2022-2023 Sports editor on the football, men's basketball and gymnastics beats. He was previously an assistant editor on the gymnastics, women's soccer, women's golf, men's water polo and women's water polo beats and a contributor on the gymnastics and women's water polo beats.
Settleman was the 2022-2023 Sports editor on the football, men's basketball and gymnastics beats. He was previously an assistant editor on the gymnastics, women's soccer, women's golf, men's water polo and women's water polo beats and a contributor on the gymnastics and women's water polo beats.
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