UCLA appears poised to land its third transfer from North Carolina in less than a year, only the latest one comes with controversy. Bruin Report Online reported that Larry Drew II enrolled in UCLA for the spring quarter which began on Monday, joining the Wear twins as players who have left UNC for UCLA.
Drew was the LA city section player of the year in 2008 at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California and went to North Carolina out of high school. He didn’t play much in his freshman year, somewhat struggled in his sophomore season, and he lost the starting point guard position to Kendall Marshall in January this season. By February, he had quit the program and then he rapped about his problems in a song.
If Drew is to join the basketball program as expected, he’d have to sit out the ’11-’12 season and then he’d be eligible to play in the ’12-’13 season as a senior. The timing would work out well for UCLA who will be losing senior-to-be Malcolm Lee after next season. The question is whether or not Drew will realize the talent he displayed in high school, and whether or not he can become a better team player in the future.
Working with Drew would be a project for Coach Ben Howland, but there’s little doubt it enriches the talent pool for the Bruins.
