UCLA Basketball Signs Chris Smith to NLI
April 12, 2017 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES โ The UCLA men's basketball program has received a signed National Letter of Intent from Chris Smith, a 6-foot-8 forward who starred last season at Huntington Prep in Huntington, W. Va., it was announced today by head coach Steve Alford.
Smith, who hails from Fort Worth, Texas, will enroll at UCLA this summer and begin his freshman season in Westwood this fall.
"We're really excited to welcome Chris to our program," UCLA head coach Steve Alford said. "He's a versatile player with great length who can play on the wing and excel as a power forward. He has shown that he can handle, pass and shoot the ball, which fits perfectly to our style. Chris has an opportunity to make an impact from the start, and we're looking forward to having him here this summer."
The Bruins have added Smith to an incoming class that has already been rated No. 2, nationally, by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com. Smith has been ranked as a four-star and top-100 recruit in his class by Rivals.com.
Smith has become the sixth high school player in this class to sign with the Bruins, set to enroll at UCLA for the 2017-18 school year. He joins Kris Wilkes, from Indianapolis, Ind., and a group of four players from southern California in the Bruins' incoming class โ Li'Angelo Ball, Jaylen Hands, Jalen Hill and Cody Riley.
