Unfinished business. That’s what Jaime Jaquez Jr. is calling it, and that’s why he’s returning to play for UCLA next season.
Jaquez, a Camarillo native, earned first-team All-Pac-12 Conference honors last season as a junior after averaging 13.9 points and a team-best 5.9 rebounds per game.
He announced he intends to return to play his senior season with the Bruins via a video post on social media, expressing his appreciation for UCLA’s rich pedigree in winning national championships.
“When I committed here we wanted to get this program on the national stage, back where it belongs,” Jaquez said in his announcement video. “I’m proud of what we accomplished the last couple years, but there’s unfinished business. I came to UCLA to win a national championship. I want to hang banner number 12 in Pauley Pavilion.”
“I’m coming back,” Jaquez says at the end of the video.
— Jaime Jaquez Jr (@jaquez_jr) April 18, 2022
Jaquez, 21, has been a catalyst for the Bruins during its last two NCAA Tournament runs, both of which have ended with losses to the eventual national runner-up. The Bruins made it to the Final Four in his sophomore season, losing to Gonzaga on an overtime buzzer-beater, then advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to North Carolina this past season. He has played in 97 games through three seasons, starting 89 of them. He has averaged 11.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 30.8 minutes throughout his career at UCLA. He has amassed a total of 1,143 points, which ranks him 49th in program history.
“Jaime has been a tremendous and tenacious player in our program for three years, and we are thrilled that he will come back for his senior season in Westwood,” UCLA head coach Mick Cronin said in a statement. “Jaime has a chance to go down with so many other great Bruins in UCLA history who have played four seasons in front of the Pauley Pavilion faithful.”
Jaquez won’t just experience another year at UCLA, but he will do it with his younger sister on campus too. Gabriela Jaquez, who is an incoming freshman on UCLA’s women’s basketball team next season, was just named the McDonald’s All-American game MVP this past March.
OTHER QUESTION MARKS ON UCLA ROSTER
Jaquez is the third UCLA player to make a decision about his future. Jake Kyman decided to transfer to Wyoming and freshman Peyton Watson announced he is declaring for the NBA Draft this summer.
It remains to be seen what Johnny Juzang, Jules Bernard, Cody Riley and Myles Johnson will decide to do. All four have the option to return if they so choose.