Go Joe Bruin
Fansided

Jonah Bolden Now Eligible To Practice With Team, Per UCLA

By Jake Liker

facebooktwitterreddit

It was only fitting that Jonah Bolden received the good news on Australia Day. The only Australian on this year’s UCLA men’s basketball team was vague but happy over Twitter.

The tweet quickly conjured up false hope from Bruin fans, speculating that perhaps Bolden would be able to play in actual Games and serve as a messiah for a squad coming off of two embarrassing losses in the state of Oregon. It was later reported that the new Bolden story is suffering from Iverson Syndrome – we’re just talking about practice, not any games.

the new Bolden story is suffering from Iverson Syndrome – we’re just talking about practice, not any games

This is still a small victory for the Bruins; UCLA was working with the NCAA to get him cleared to practice about a week ago, according to Bruin Report Online. Ryan Kartje of the OC Register reported that Head Coach Steve Alford said that Bolden had done everything he was asked to do.

Bolden is a 6’9″ power forward, a 4-star prospect out of Findlay Prep in Las Vegas…kind of. Bolden was ruled academically ineligible by the NCAA back in September, but sources believe that his ineligibility has something to do with the fact that Bolden’s senior year of high school had already begun when he left Australia for Las Vegas. Bolden then left Findlay in December to attend Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.

More from UCLA Bruins Basketball

The NCAA did allow for Bolden to continue under athletic scholarship, whereas another player that was supposed to be a newcomer for the Bruins, Jon Octeus, had academic issues to great to overlook. Three days after the NCAA ruling regarding Bolden, The Coloradoan reported that the former Colorado State point guard was denied admission into UCLA’s graduate school thanks to lackluster grades. Octeus later comitted to Purdue.

Jan 24, 2015; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Mike Gesell (10) drives to the basket against Purdue Boilermakers guard Jon Octeus (0) at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Last year, guard Isaac Hamilton had to sit out a full season after transferring from UTEP. It’s safe to say that Hamilton has been a disappointment this year for the Bruins, but the future still looks bright in Westwood. Future players include Prince Ali, a 4-star shooting guard who flipped his commitment from UConn to UCLA, and Aaron Holiday, Jrue Holiday‘s younger brother.

If enough players stick around, 2016 could be a peak year for the Bruins. 5-star point guard Lonzo Ball is already headlining the Bruins’ 2016 recruiting class.

For now, Bruin Nation should just be glad that UCLA will have a little more help in practice. With Utah just around the corner, the Bruins could certainly use it.