By ADAM ZAGORIA
Trent Perry, the four-star point guard from Harvard Westlake (CA), is staying home. Again.
Ranked the No. 8 combo guard in the 247Sports.com Composite, Perry signed with UCLA on Wednesday after recently obtaining his release from crosstown rival USC in the wake of the coaching change that saw Eric Musselman replace Andy Enfield.
“I chose UCLA because I get to play high-level basketball at home and get a great education,” he told ZAGSBLOG. “Also, there’s an opportunity to play right away and impact a really good team to winning from the start. [Coach Mick] Cronin believes in me and I believe in him to help me with my goals.”
He initially committed to USC last October.
“We are thrilled that Trent Perry has chosen to become a Bruin,” UCLA head coach Mick Cronin said in a statement. “He has had a very successful high school career at Harvard-Westlake, where he was extremely well-coached by Dave Rebibo. Time after time, he stepped up in big moments and led his team to victory. He’ll graduate as a back-to-back California state champion and the Gatorade California Basketball Player of the Year, along with a host of other impressive individual accolades. Trent has established himself as a dynamic playmaker, and we believe that he has a very high ceiling as his game continues to develop. We’re looking forward to having him in Westwood.”
As a senior in 2023-24 at Harvard-Westlake, Perry averaged 18.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. He shot 47.2 percent from the field and 86 percent at the free throw line.
Perry, the 2024 Gatorade California Boys Basketball Player of the Year, helped lead Harvard-Westlake to the 2023 and 2024 CIF State Open Division championships and the 2024 CIF Southern Section Open Division crown. A two-time Mission League MVP, he secured McDonald’s All-American honors in 2024 and was crowned as California’s Mr. Basketball by Cal-Hi Sports and was named the California MaxPreps High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
Selected as the Los Angeles Daily News Player of the Year this spring, Perry scored 11 of his 17 points in the second half of a 50-45 win over Salesian High School in the CIF State Open Division title contest at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Prior to that contest, Perry registered 28 points and eight rebounds for Harvard-Westlake in a 63-59 win over Roosevelt High School in the CIF Southern Section Regional Open Division final.
As a junior in 2022-23, Perry averaged 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. In the state title contest in 2023, he totaled 16 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds to break the CIF State Open Division finals record for assists (previously established by Stanley Johnson in 2014, with eight). Harvard-Westlake defeated Santa Maria St. Joseph, 76-65, at the Golden 1 Center in that championship contest.
Perry becomes the first incoming UCLA signee from Harvard-Westlake since Johnny Juzang spent two seasons with the Bruins in 2020-21 and 2021-22 before signing with the Utah Jazz. In addition, Perry becomes the first incoming Bruin basketball player to have earned Gatorade California Player of the Year honors on the basketball court since David Singleton secured that honor following the 2017-18 high school season.
Perry will join an incoming UCLA class that includes one other freshman (Eric Freeny, from Corona, Calif.) and five incoming transfer students (Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark, Eric Dailey Jr., Kobe Johnson and William Kyle III).
“We have worked hard to a roster of great talent and character,” Cronin said. “Each of our recruits understands our vision to compete for a national championship – that’s what we do at UCLA, and that will propel them to their professional dreams, as well. We plan to be a very deep and well-balanced team with skill, size, length and athleticism. Obviously, we are very excited to get everyone on campus this summer and start the process of coming together as a team.”
(Via UCLA Release)
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