Johnny Juzang announces he is transferring to UCLA

Johnny Juzang announced last month that he is transferring from Kentucky after a disappointing freshman season, and the former five-star recruit has officially committed to UCLA.

Juzang is from Los Angeles and played high school ball there, and he said in a statement on Thursday that the coronavirus pandemic helped him realize how important it is to remain close to home. He also said he grew up rooting for UCLA and is excited to have an opportunity to play for Mick Cronin.

I’m coming home ! #4sUp pic.twitter.com/IsqD8ViPTv

— Johnny Juzang (@JohnnyJuzang) April 9, 2020

“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 said. “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.”

Juzang announced a little over a week ago that he had narrowed his decision down to six schools. The 6-foot-6 guard reclassified to the 2019 recruiting class last year and committed to Kentucky, where he averaged just 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 28 games.

Juzang was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, so UCLA is hoping to get more out of him than we saw at Kentucky.