UCLA on Wednesday officially announced the signings of high school senior Jaylen Clark and Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang.
Clark, a 6-foot-5 guard from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., excelled last season at Etiwanda High School.
Both players will join the Bruins’ program in 2020-21, Clark as a freshman and Juzang as a sophomore.
I’m coming home ! #4sUp pic.twitter.com/IsqD8ViPTv
— Johnny Juzang (@JohnnyJuzang) April 9, 2020
“Both of these young men are great additions for our program,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin said. “Jaylen comes from a great family. He’s a true competitor with tremendous athleticism, and he has gone up against some of Southern California’s best high school programs. I love that he can play almost any position on the floor. We believe he will develop into a great player for us. During his senior year, he was able to lead his team in multiple ways – some games as the leading scorer, others as the top rebounder, and other games with his assists. Jaylen has been a proven winner at the highest levels of high school basketball, in addition to the national AAU circuit. We are very excited that he chose to be a Bruin.”
“Johnny is coming home to be a Bruin, and we’re thrilled to have him join us in Westwood. He and I have spent a lot of time on the phone under these ongoing pandemic restrictions, even though we’re just three miles from each other. It’s been great getting to know him. He has a terrific support system with his family, and I know he’s excited to get started at UCLA. He’s always been a talented scorer, and he proved that at Kentucky when he had opportunities. He excelled at a terrific high school, and he certainly has a chance to develop into an outstanding all-around player. Johnny has learned the value of hard work and perseverance, especially during his last season. He wants to help UCLA win big and that means a lot to me. We’re thankful he chose to become a Bruin, and I can’t wait to thank him in person and get to work.”
Clark has been ranked as high as No. 63, nationally, in his high school class by Rivals.com. He secured All-CIF Southern Section Open Division honors last season, helping guide Etiwanda to a 30-4 overall record and an appearance in the CIF-SS Open Division regional final after a semifinal victory over Mater Dei. Clark averaged 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game as a senior. He earned second-team all-state acclaim in California from MaxPreps.com and was a first-team all-area selection by the San Bernardino Sun.
Juzang played in 28 games as a freshman at Kentucky in 2019-20, making two starts. He scored a season-high 13 points in a game at Tennessee on Feb. 8, shooting 3-for-3 from beyond the 3-point arc in 24 minutes. Juzang finished his freshman campaign having averaged 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
Juzang had been ranked among the top 35 players in his high school class at Harvard-Westlake in 2018-19, listed as high as No. 29 (by ESPN.com). He reclassified during his final year of high school, averaging 23.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists as a junior in 2018-19. That season, he was named the MVP of the Mission League. He earned first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division I acclaim in each of his three years at Harvard-Westlake.
Both Clark and Juzang will join an incoming UCLA class that also features guard Daishen Nix, who recently concluded his high school career at Trinity International School in Las Vegas. Nix, a 6-foot-5 guard who signed a National Letter of Intent in November 2019, has been ranked as high as No. 11 in his high school class by 247Sports.com. In addition, Nix has been rated the nation’s top point guard by 247Sports.com.
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
