On a night when UCLA assistant coach David Grace watched Houston wing Justise Winslow play, the Bruins also landed a pledge from 7-footer Thomas Welsh.
Welsh, who averaged 12.6 points and 10.9 rebounds as a junior at Los Angeles Loyola, also reportedly considered Cal and Stanford. He is ranked No. 52 by Rivals in the Class of 2014.
“He felt that UCLA would help him to continue to develop as a player and person,” Loyola coach Jamal Adams told SNY.tv.
“He really likes the staff and their vision of the future. He’s a true low-post scorer with tremendous hands and feel for the game. His character and work ethic are world class.”
He joins big men Kevon Looney and Gyorgy Goloman in Steve Alford’s first recruiting class.
“We absolutely needed size with this class,” Alford said. “To get Thomas, a local seven-footer, to help anchor us inside is tremendous. He has been extremely well coached and gets better every time we see him. He’s an outstanding student and person who truly fits our program.”
As for the 6-6 Winslow, Grace was the only coach from any school watching him play Tuesday in Houston.
Winslow is considering Duke, Florida, Arizona, Stanford and Texas A&M along with UCLA.
Wednesday is the last day of the NCAA early signing period, and if he doesn’t sign by then, he will have to wait until the spring.
