Jaime Jaquez Jr. will return to UCLA in hopes of winning a national title

With three phrases, one other season may very well be performed.

With three phrases, a brand new ending may very well be written.

With three phrases, a fan base may rejoice.

“I’m coming again,” Jaime Jaquez Jr. stated, uttering the three phrases that would additionally change the trajectory of a program.

The UCLA junior guard made his announcement close to the top of a video heralding his return for another faculty season Monday, taking his jersey out of his locker and slipping it over his shoulders.

Along with his resolution, Jaquez prioritized the letters on the entrance of that jersey over these on the again, reaffirming his devotion to his college.

“After I dedicated right here,” Jaquez stated within the practically 2½-minute video released on Twitter and Instagram, “I wished to get this program again on the nationwide stage, again the place it belongs among the many nation’s elite. I’m pleased with what we achieved the final three years, however there’s some unfinished enterprise. I got here to UCLA to win a nationwide championship; shouldn’t that be the purpose? I wish to grasp banner No. 12 in Pauley Pavilion.”

The Bruins’ prospects for his or her first nationwide title since 1995 are enormously enhanced by the return of their grittiest and greatest all-around participant who turned a two-way pressure final season regardless of enjoying most of it on two unhealthy ankles.

On the best way to changing into a first-team All-Pac-12 participant who additionally held the excellence of constructing the convention’s all-defensive crew for a second consecutive season, Jaquez averaged 13.9 factors and 5.7 rebounds per sport. He was particularly efficient whereas unleashing a slew of efficient low-post strikes late within the season, averaging 19.3 factors over his ultimate eight video games because the Bruins reached the Candy 16 earlier than dropping to North Carolina.

His resolution wasn’t wholly sudden contemplating Jaquez’s affinity for his teammates and coaches, to not point out the sister who will arrive on campus subsequent fall. Gabriela Jaquez, the record-setting senior guard at Camarillo Excessive, will be a part of Jaime as the primary basketball brother-sister mixture at UCLA since Dave and Ann Meyers within the Seventies. The siblings have already secured no less than one identify, picture and likeness deal alongside their youthful brother, Marcos.

Jaime Jaquez is the primary of the crew’s starters to publicly decide to coming again subsequent season; Cody Riley and Jules Bernard had been honored throughout senior day however have remaining eligibility and juniors Johnny Juzang and Tyger Campbell haven’t introduced their plans.

Lengthy a fan favourite for his relentlessness, Jaquez’s return ensures that the Bruins will hold a distinguished a part of the core that helped them attain the Ultimate 4 a yr in the past. Freshman guard Peyton Watson lately introduced he was coming into the NBA draft and junior guard Jake Kyman stated he was transferring to Wyoming.

Jaquez will enter his senior season ranked No. 49 on the college’s all-time scoring record (1,143 profession factors), having grow to be one in every of 59 gamers in program historical past to tally 1,000 factors.

“Jaime has been an amazing and tenacious participant in our program for 3 years, and we’re thrilled that he’ll come again for his senior season in Westwood,” UCLA coach Mick Cronin stated in an announcement. “Jaime has an opportunity to go down with so many different nice Bruins in UCLA historical past who’ve performed 4 seasons in entrance of the Pauley Pavilion devoted.”

Jaquez moved into the beginning lineup simply eight video games into his freshman season after difficult his teammates to be harder, a regular he had already begun to uphold. Including to his personal legacy of resilience this season, Jaquez shortly returned from hitting his head on the Pauley Pavilion hardwood and getting by accident elbowed within the face by teammate Myles Johnson. He repeatedly rolled his ankles and in addition handled irritation, necessitating protecting ankle braces for the season’s ultimate six weeks.

“It was irritating,” Jaquez stated of his accidents within the video, “however I’m pleased with how my brothers caught collectively. We powered via. We didn’t attain our final purpose, however we gave it our all; we left all the things on the courtroom.”

As he glanced round his residence courtroom within the video, eyes tilting skyward towards all these championship banners, Jaquez stated UCLA had been part of who he’s for so long as he may keep in mind.

“It’s very particular to me to placed on that jersey with my household’s identify on the again,” Jaquez stated, “however to characterize these 4 letters on the entrance has been a dream come true.”

The dream lives on. He’s coming again.