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UCLA Basketball: TJ Leaf is Pac-12 Player of the Week, Again

By Mike Regalado

Dec 14, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins forward TJ Leaf (22) defends a shot by UC Santa Barbara Gauchos guard Gabe Vincent (2) in the second half at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA won 102-62. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins forward TJ Leaf (22) defends a shot by UC Santa Barbara Gauchos guard Gabe Vincent (2) in the second half at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA won 102-62. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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After two dominating performances, UCLA Basketball freshman power forward TJ Leaf has once again been named Pac-12 Player of the Week.

Surprise, surprise, TJ Leaf is your Pac-12 Player of the Week… again. The UCLA Basketball freshman has captured his second POTW honors in the non-conference season after another week of sheer domination.

Where to begin? Well how about his near triple-double against UC Santa Barbara last Wednesday in which he scored 25 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists. In that game, the Bruins completely dominated the Gauchos.

UCLA had overmatched UCSB so much that there were nearly two triple-doubles in this game. Leaf’s freshman counterpart Lonzo Ball also got into the action with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists.

Leaf then continued his offensive show this past Saturday at the CBS Sports Classic in Las Vegas as the Bruins outran the Ohio State Buckeyes, 86-73. Against OSU, Leaf scored 13 points and had 8 rebounds against the defensive-minded Buckeyes.

So far this season, Leaf is leading all Bruins in scoring with 17.8 ppg. He is also second in rebounds with 9.3. He is just behind junior center Thomas Welsh (9.6 rpg) who has missed the last three games due to a knee injury.

Next: Bruins Readying Themselves for Pac-12 Play

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Leaf and the Bruins have one more game in the non-conference season — against Western Michigan — before they start Pac-12 Conference play on Wednesday, December 21 in Eugene against the #20 Oregon Ducks.