gloger re-signs with Bruins, enrolls

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Spencer Gloger Checks In At UCLA;
Transfer Is Official--(Sept 30, 2000)

We've been really busy the past few weeks with work (yeah, real work, which sometimes has a funny way of intruding on basketball. . . ) so we didn't jump on this story right away when we found out about it, but better late than never we always say. Spencer Gloger, a 6'-7" graduate of Santa Margarita, a deadly accurate shooter, has transferred to UCLA and is enrolled in classes. He will sit out a year as required by NCAA transfer rules, and will have three more years of eligibility.

Spencer originally committed to Princeton during the fall of the 1998-99 season, but because Princeton (like the rest of the Ivy League) doesn't subscribe to the National Letter of Intent system, Spencer was still free to talk with other schools. Following a great senior season, and an impressive performance at the Dada Classic All Star game in April 1999, Spencer and his family began discussions with the UCLA coaches. Several weeks later, during the NLI spring signing period, Spencer was offered a scholarship, but he and his family elected instead to have Spencer sign a scholarship agreement (as did his fellow-1999-signee, Jason Kapono). The significance of signing the scholarship agreement, rather than the NLI, was that Spencer was free to change his mind and not enroll at UCLA without sitting out any penalty as required under the NLI if a player doesn't enroll at the school with which he signs. As things turned out for Spencer, not signing the NLI worked out perfectly because he did indeed change his mind before enrolling at UCLA, and playing most of that summer in the Say No League, he decided to enroll at Princeton instead. And following a great freshman season last year under Bill Carmody (who has also now left Princeton, taking the Northwestern head coaching job vacated by Kevin O'Neil who left to take an assistant's job with the New York Knicks), Spencer has also decided to transfer out, and he has now officially enrolled at UCLA, where he will be on scholarship.

Here's the official UCLA press release (along with a photo of Spencer which is still up at the Princeton site):

Spencer Gloger Transferring To UCLA From Princeton

Sophomore started 28 games for the Tigers last season.

Sept. 26, 2000

Spencer Gloger, a 6-7, 205-pound sophomore from Mission Viejo who started 28 games last season at Princeton as a true freshman, is transferring to UCLA, Bruin head coach Steve Lavin announced Tuesday.

Gloger signed a grant-in-aid to attend UCLA on Tuesday. Because of the transfer, he will have to sit out this season and will have three years of eligibility for the Bruins starting with the 2001-02 season.

In 1999-2000 as a true freshman at Princeton, Gloger started 28 games, tied the Ivy League single-game record with 10 three-pointers and set the Princeton freshman single-game record with 34 points. Gloger tied the single-game Ivy League record (set by Penn's Matt Maloney) with 10 (of 12) three-pointers against Alabama-Birmingham. He also set Princeton freshman records with 65 three-pointers during the season and 34 points in a game (vs. Alabama-Birmingham). Princeton's second-leading scorer (12.0), Gloger also averaged 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists and shot 43.8 from the field, 40.9 (65-159) from three-point range and 75.0 from the foul line. In 1999-2000, Gloger was in double figures in 20 games, including each of the last eight contests and he had five games of at least 20 points. He earned honorable mention All-Ivy League last season.

On May 24, 1999, Gloger initially signed a grant-in-aid with UCLA, although at the same time he was also considering attending Princeton. He changed his mind over the summer and enrolled at Princeton before the start of the 1999-2000 school year.

"Coach Lavin gave me an opportunity a year ago and now he's giving me another chance," Gloger said. " I'm grateful to him for this second chance. UCLA has everything I'm looking for in a school, including a great team, with national-caliber academics and the chance to play in front of my family and friends."

As a prepster Gloger was a standout performer at Santa Margarita High School, under coach Jerry Debusk. As a senior in 1998-99, he averaged 23.7 points and 6.0 rebounds and was named the 1999 Orange County Register Player of the Year.

"We are happy to have Spencer back with us," Lavin said. "At Princeton last season, he made an immediate impact with the Tigers' program as a true freshman. Spencer's size, versatility, court sense and deadly shooting stroke from long distance will be great assets to our program. In Spencer, we are getting another quality local student-athlete to join our Bruin family."

And since we're borrowing stuff (like the picture) from the official Princeton basketball site, we thought we'd also grab Spencer's bio notes from the Tigers site before it's eventually taken down. Here's what Princeton had to say about Spencer:

At Santa Margarita High…

Lettered three times in basketball … team won state and CIF championship junior year … team won league championship all three years … Orange County Player of the Year senior year … named Best in the West by Long Beach Telegram … league MVP … all-state senior year … averaged 23.7 points per game senior year after averaging 1.6 points per game junior year … shot 46% from three-point range as senior … averaged six rebounds and 2.2 steals per game

Personal…

Born Sept. 11, 1980 … son of John and Cindy Gloger … father is graduate of Cal-Berkeley; mother is graduate of San Diego State … father played basketball at Long Beach State before transfering to Cal … has older brother Brad and younger brother Jeff … Brad attends Columbia … Jeff plays basketball in high school … is an avid golfer