UCLA's Anderson, LaVine declare for NBA Draft
Apr 16, 2014 - 5:10 PM Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - UCLA sophomore guard Kyle Anderson and freshman guard Zach LaVine have elected to forego their remaining collegiate eligibility and enter the 2014 NBA Draft.Anderson secured first-team All-Pac-12 honors and was named a third-team All-America selection as a sophomore in 2013-14. He averaged closer to a triple-double than any player in the nation, registering 14.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game.
"I want to thank everyone at UCLA for all they have done for me," said Anderson. "My two years at UCLA were two of the best years of my life. It was a tough decision to make with my family since our last game, but I have decided to enter my name into the NBA Draft. I will still continue to embrace the UCLA community, and I hope they will do the same with me."
LaVine captured Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors in 2013-14. The 6-foot-5 guard from Seattle averaged 9.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game for the Bruins.
"I am excited to announce that I will be declaring for the 2014 NBA Draft," said LaVine. "I first and foremost want to thank my family for all their support in helping me through this journey to achieve my dream of playing in the NBA. I also want to thank my coaches, UCLA, my teammates and all of the fans. I will forever be proud to call myself a Bruin and will never forget the memories that were made here. I truly can't wait for this next chapter in my life, and again thank everyone for all their support."
Anderson became the first player in Pac-12 history to record at least 200 rebounds and 200 assists in the same season. He finished his sophomore year having logged 527 points, 315 rebounds and 233 assists -- the assist total ranking third on the school's single-season list.
"We are all very happy for Kyle, who has a terrific opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream of playing in the NBA," said UCLA coach Steve Alford. "I know I speak for all of our coaches and players when I say his efforts here at UCLA were greatly appreciated. I've said time and again that Kyle was the best point guard in the country this past season. He had a tremendous year, helping lead us to the Sweet 16 and a Pac-12 Tournament championship. I firmly believe Kyle will have a long and productive NBA career and everyone involved with UCLA basketball wishes him the best."
The 6-foot-9 Anderson played in 71 games (70 starts) for UCLA over two seasons, guiding the Bruins to the 2013 Pac-12 regular-season title, the 2014 Pac-12 Tournament championship and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. He averaged 12.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in two seasons, shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range.
LaVine shot 44.1 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range for the Bruins, playing in all 37 games this past season. His 48 3-point field goals are the second-most by any freshman in school history.
"It has been exciting to see Zach develop from the time he first set foot on campus at UCLA to where he is today," Alford added. "Zach has only begun to scratch the surface of his potential and has an extremely bright future ahead of him. It has been a pleasure to watch him grow both as a basketball player and person this past year, and I look forward to watching Zach play in the NBA for many years to come."
Anderson and LaVine helped UCLA to a 28-9 overall record and the program's first Pac-12 Tournament title and NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance since 2008.
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