UCLA Basketball: Four-Star Guard Will McClendon Commits to the Bruins

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team picked up its first recruit to the 2021 recruiting class yesterday when four-star shooting guard Will McClendon from Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas committed to the Bruins.

McClendon made the announcement on Twitter.

McClendon is a 6’,3” tall shooting guard who weighs 190 pounds. He explained his commitment to 247Sports:

I chose UCLA due to coach (Mick) Cronin, the relationship I have with him, it just felt like we knew each other for so long. The winning tradition and alumni is something I want to be a part of as well as the academics, location and opportunity. . . .

Cronin is tough and he’s a real straight up guy. I play hard and I’m a winner and that’s what Cronin is too. . . .

I want to win a national championship but there’s steps. First we have to win a Pac-12 championship.

Rivals has a video of McClendon’s highlights from the Nike Extravanganza.

Meanwhile, yesterday, UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin held his weekly press conference. Coach Cronin’s first question came from Ben Bolch of the LA Times and it was about Jalen Hill’s recent play. “The more he can play harder, longer, the better he’s going to be and he’s learning how to do that on they job,” Cronin said. “He’s in an on the job training situation.”

Cronin continued, “I’m proud of him the last couple of games. When you get eight to ten deflections in a game, that’s effort.”

He also discussed passing and turnovers.

When we don’t pass it to the other team, we’ve got a chance to score. We had nine turnovers in the first half and we had four in the second half, but we’re getting there. Passing is the hardest thing to teach in basketball. It really is. It’s why those football coaches I’m jealous of, they’ve only got worry about one guy passing the ball — the quarterback. They don’t have to worry about linemen passing. So, it’s hard.

Thanks to Mike Regalado of Bruin Report Online for sharing yesterday’s video of Coach Cronin.

Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jalen Hill and Tyger Campbell all also spoke to the media yesterday. Jaquez spoke a little about how it can be more helpful knowing which guys are going to playing 30-plus minutes each game. Hill spoke about the development of his jump hook and how he’s been working on that since high school while Campbell spoke about how it’s different going into a hostile environment versus playing at home.

Thanks to UCLA Athletics for the players’ interviews.

This week, the Bruins visit Oregon State tomorrow night before facing the Oregon Ducks on Sunday.


Go Bruins!!!