Looking back at TJ Leaf's one season at UCLA

TJ Leaf spent one gap year at UCLA for the 2016-17 season. Before declaring for the NBA draft in 2017. It was a very good freshman season for him with the Bruins, and he was a force in the paint for the team. On the season he averaged 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Being a double double machine as he was 6’10 and 225 pounds, taking up a ton of space in the middle. He possessed great size and strength and finished the season with 11 double doubles.

Leaf was also very consistent as there were only two games that season he scored under 10 points. Not including the game he left early and only played five minutes. The lowest point total he had outside of that game was eight. You could expect him to score double digits almost every single night and some nights lead the team in scoring. He had 10 games of at least 20 points, and his career high was 32 points in a game.

The Bruins went 31-5 that season as another standout freshman in Lonzo Ball was on the team. They were one of the favorites to win March Madness. Ultimately falling in the Sweet 16 to Kentucky. A game in which Leaf played very well in and had 17 points and 7 rebounds. Cementing his decision to go to the NBA as many saw him as a first round pick.

Leaf ended up going No. 18 overall to the Indiana Pacers in the 2017 NBA Draft. Coming off his First-team All PAC-12 selection and one of the top freshmen in the nation. His counterpart Lonzo Ball went No. 2 overall to the Los Angeles Lakers. Leaf played parts of four seasons in the NBA as a role player. He then shifted to overseas to play and is now having success with Maccabi Tel Aviv. The talent is there for him and it’s good to see he has found a place to showcase that.