burns commits to UCLA

socalogo.gif (8739 bytes)
SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Evan Burns Gives A Verbal
Commit To UCLA--(Sept. 15, 2001)

As one commentator noted last week, the horrifying events of this past week, including the destruction of the World Trade Center, the near-destruction of the Pentagon, the hijacking of four planes and the deaths of countless thousands at the hands of terrorists had the same effect on the world of college basketball and recruiting that it did on the rest of us. . . .it put just about everything except eating and sleeping (and in some cases it didn't help with the latter either) on hold....

But not everything ground to a halt because on Wednesday, September 12, 2001, Evan Burns (6'-7" Sr. F) from Fairfax HS, one of the most talented players in the class of 2002, and the highest ranked national-caliber player on the West Coast this year gave a verbal commitment to UCLA coach Steve Lavin. Evan was reported to have visited UCLA on an unofficial visit on Monday, and then called coach Lavin on Wednesday with the news.

Not many other schools had been actively recruiting Evan, who is still rumored to be considering the NBA as an option. Of course, his parents, including dad Bob Burns (who coached Evan on the "Team Dada" travel squad during the 2000-2001 fall and spring tournament circuit) have a thing or two to say about that, and they want him to attend college. So UCLA it is, and not many people are surprised with his choice. Evan played with Dijon Thompson on the same Belmont Shore travel squad for a while before the two teams separated and Dada got its own sponsorship, and is said to still be very friendly with him.

According to the LA Times' Eric Sondheimer, who reported the commitment the day after it occurred, Evan's high school coach Harvey Kitani, calls Evan "the most complete player" he's had in his 20+ years of coaching at the high school level, and that includes a player like Chris Mills, who went on to play at Arizona and has been in the NBA since 1993 (now with Golden State).

The Bruins are still recruiting a number of other players from the class of 2002, most notably Westchester's Hassan Adams, Brad Buckman from Texas, Solvenian Erazem Lorbek, and perhaps a point guard who is still available. The Bruins are no longer recruiting Bracy Wright who committed to Indiana earlier this, nor are they recruiting Kelenna Azubuike, who commited to the Oklahoma Sooners also this week. Jim Downs finally updated his UCLA Bruin Hoop Report site this week, and he's got some interesting news on UCLA recruiting. It's worth a look. Nice to see you back, Jim.