The Bruins have taken their first step in this year’s freshman class down the recruiting path.
UCLA men’s basketball sent a scholarship offer to class of 2026 point guard Jason Crowe Jr., Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times first reported Jan. 7. The Lynwood (CA) prospect is the first player in his class to receive an offer from the Bruins.
Crowe is sitting on another Division I offer from Weber State, which he picked up on Sept. 26.
With his college career nearly four years from beginning, Crowe doesn’t have a star rating from any major recruiting service at the moment. However, he has drawn a lot of attention in the middle of his freshman season, both from college coaches and the media.
Crowe is already averaging 35.8 points, 4.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game for Lynwood High School, where his father is the head coach, at the college level this season. Crowe ranks second in the country in points per game, and he won’t even turn 15 until July.
The 6-foot-1 lefty burst onto the scene with a 51-point output in a win over Lawndale (CA) in December, and he scored 45 against Long Beach Poly (CA) on New Year’s Eve.
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Despite the high volume, Crowe has remained efficient as a scorer. Crowe is shooting 51.9% from the field, 37.1% from deep and 82.8% from the line this season, establishing himself as a true three-level shooter.
Crowe plays his AAU ball for the Compton Magic, a program that has produced various UCLA merchandise over the years. Arron Afflalo, TJ Leaf, Ike Anigbogu, Jaylen Hands, Jalen Hill, Jules Bernard, Johnny Juzang, Jaylen Clark and Dylan Andrews played for the Magic, as did class of 2023 signee Devin Williams.
UCLA assistant coach Rod Palmer was also a co-founder of the Magic along with current CEO Etop Udo-Ema.
Obviously, it’s very early in Crowe’s draft, but the Bruins have become real contenders for his services several years early. UCLA is only 26 miles from his high school, and the staff of coach Mick Cronin gave him his first opportunity to play at the highest level.
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