April 10 (UPI) -- Former University of Kentucky freshman Johnny Juzang will play college basketball at UCLA next season after announcing his decision to leave the Wildcats in March.
Juzang announced his commitment to UCLA Thursday on social media. He averaged 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game at Kentucky, appearing in 28 games during his 2019-2020 campaign.
Juzang was the No. 30 prospect in the ESPN 100 high school basketball recruiting rankings for 2019. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard went to Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles before joining the Wildcats.
"It's a crazy time in the world right now, and with this current pandemic, I think being close to home and close to family and friends is so important," Juzang tweeted. "I'm also very happy to be home with family and friends for support and well-being reasons. I'm sending prayers to everyone affected by this situation."
Related
Juzang will have to sit out next season unless his application is successful for a transfer waiver to play immediately. He will have three seasons of eligibility to play for the Bruins.
"I can't explain how excited I am to play for coach [Mick] Cronin and UCLA," Juzang said. "Growing up in Los Angeles, 15 minutes from Westwood, I've always followed UCLA and dreamed of playing in Pauley [Pavilion]. Bringing a title back home is something that motivates me like nothing else.
"I can't wait to put on that blue and gold. I will be pursuing a waiver for immediate eligibility. Go Bruins!"
Juzang was also considering Arizona, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas Tech and Villanova.
