By: Kyle Xu
Jaime Jaquez Jr. rose from a bit player to Pac-12 player of the year. But now he is a rookie again. Back to proving his skill.
Jaquez, a former UCLA basketball star, was given the opportunity to be drafted for the NBA. Teams have valued his savvy, consistency, and relentlessness.
“I feel really ready,” said Jaquez. “I feel more prepared than ever, and I’m really looking at the four years and realize how much that’s prepared me for going into these workouts and really making an impact and talking to these GMs. I’m really seeing the payoff of my time at UCLA.”
Jaquez said he’s learned to be more vocal on defense and make his presence felt in the whole game. He can score from anywhere inside 25 feet and is matched by powerful rebounding, strong defense and a willingness to work with teammates.
An anonymous executive has said that he predicts Jaquez to be taken somewhere from No. 17 to No. 25 in the first round. Jaquez has used his time moving across the nation hoping to become UCLA’s top pick.
Nine teams have tried him for workouts, including the Los Angeles Clippers. “The feedback has been very positive,” Jaquez said to The Times. “I think I’ve gone through this process and shown a lot of teams what I can do and I think they’ve all been very impressed. I think I’ve definitely improved my stock – at least that’s the way I feel. I mean, you never know – it’s not how I feel, it’s about how these GMs feel. I think I did, so I guess I’ll leave it at that.”
When asked, Jaquez said he has no regrets about college. However, he’s sad to leave his sister Gabriela. The siblings saw each other nearly daily. During their overlapping free time, they would go shopping together or hang out in Westwood Village. “It was a lot of fun, I can’t lie,” said Jaime. “To be on campus with her at the same time – I can’t even believe it happened.”
Jaquez is about to be the first UCLA player drafted with an undergraduate degree. If he’s selected in the first round, he’ll be the first Bruin senior taken since Collison in 2009.
“I’m a winner,” Jaquez said. “I’ll take what I learned from UCLA and apply that and try to bring all that knowledge and experience to a team and try to help an organization try and win some games.