Ray Young, a 6-4, 200-pounder from St. Joseph Notre Dame HS in Alameda and rated by some recruiting experts as the nation's No. 1 off-guard and Matt Barnes, a 6-7, 215-pounder from Del Campo HS in Fair Oaks who is considered one of the top forward prospects in the State, have signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball at UCLA, Bruin head coach Steve Lavin announced Wednesday. Both will be UCLA true freshmen next fall.

Young in 1997 guided St. Joseph Notre Dame to the State Div. I championship game, where the Pilots were edged by Crenshaw. An outstanding jumper and outside shooter for head coach Gordy Johnson, last season Young was named the State Junior of the Year, while averaging 17.8 points and 7.0 rebounds and leading the Pilots to a 31-4 overall record and the NorCal championship. In his career, he has led St. Joseph Notre Dame to an 81-12 record while scoring 1,393 points. In the recently released Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West poll, Young was the No. 2 vote-getter (458 votes, including 18 first-place). His preseason prep honors include Dick Vitale's No. 1 Backcourt Player in America and a Street & Smith fourth-team high school All-American. Young selected UCLA over California, Stanford and Arizona.

"We are very excited about signing one of the top guards in the country in Ray Young," Lavin said. "He brings explosiveness and athleticism to our basketball program. His most impressive qualities are his desire to compete and his love of the game. Ray will have a tremendous impact on our program and will be a perfect fit with our returning players. He has been surrounded by a quality family environment and strong high school program that has prepared him well for the challenges that lie ahead. Ray will represent Bruin basketball in a first-class manner."

Barnes, also a talented football player who leads the State in touchdown receptions with 19, last year as a junior was named the Sacramento Area Player of the Year. In his fourth year of varsity basketball under head coach Scott Evans, Barnes in 1997 averaged 26.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.8 blocked shots and 5.5 assists. On the recently released Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West poll, ranking the nation's top high school players west of the Mississippi River, Barnes joins future Bruin teammate Ray Young as a member of the first-team, getting 333 points. His other preseason honors include Street & Smith high honorable mention prep All-American. Barnes selected UCLA over California, USC and Fresno State.

"We are fortunate and excited to have Matt Barnes join our basketball family," Lavin said. "He is a versatile wing player who brings many basketball skills to our program. At 6-7, Matt can do many things on the floor--he can post up on the blocks, can shoot the three-pointer and has the quickness to beat defensive players off the dribble. He has come from an excellent family and high school program that has developed his character and ability as both a person and a basketball player. Matt is the type of student-athlete that we know will represent the Bruin basketball program with outstanding class and character."