UCLA Basketball Recruiting: What Texas Tech Transfer Wannah Bail Means To The Bruins
By Jeff Poirier
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
While the college baseball postseason is heating up in Westwood, some big news on the basketball front has UCLA fans a little distracted from the diamond.
The Bruins received a verbal commitment from Wannah Bail this afternoon, a 6’8″ power forward who will transfer to UCLA from Texas Tech. Bail was originally a 2012 commit, but after a very brief stint with the Red Raiders, decided Lubbock wasn’t where he belonged. As a native of Houston, Texas, Bail must have been looking to get away from home for his second try at college basketball.
According to the 247Sports recruiting timeline, Bail took official visits to both UCLA and USC this week before deciding to pledge to the Bruins. He was also scheduled to take a trip to Miami (FL) in early June, but what he heard from Steve Alford must have been enough to eliminate the Hurricanes from contention.
The addition of Bail is a huge one for UCLA—both literally and figuratively. He brings some much-needed size to a roster that’s been thin in the frontcourt, and also adds talented depth to ramp up the competition for minutes. Bail has been lauded as a top-flight defender, which is a huge bonus for the Bruins bigs, but also has an athleticism that should thrive in transition and around the rim. His high-energy play will also be critical to UCLA, as he loves to hustle his way into a monster block or a thunderous dunk.
Check out this highlight reel for evidence if you don’t believe me.
UCLA returns Travis Wear, David Wear and Tony Parker next season, though the Wear twins will both be seniors for the 2013-14 season. With Bail in the mix, Coach Alford will have another option to lean on for the all-important presence in the paint. It’s unclear whether or not Bail will have to sit out a year because of the transfer, but he will be a key contributor as soon as he is eligible (even if he has to wait).
Basketball season is still quite far off, and the Bruin faithful will have to continue waiting to see what the Alford Era brings to Pauley Pavilion. But for today, UCLA can celebrate the landing of Wannah Bail, and dream of what it will mean come November.