UCLA’S JAIME JAQUEZ JR. CAPTURES USBWA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

Jaquez Jr. averaged 28.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the Bruins’ two wins last week

INDIANAPOLIS – UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been honored as the National Player of the Week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for the week that ended Sunday, March 6.

A 6-foot-7 guard/forward from Camarillo, Calif., Jaquez Jr. averaged 28.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in UCLA’s two wins last week. He totaled a career-high 30 points and registered nine rebounds in UCLA’s 77-66 win at Washington on Monday, Feb. 28. Five days later, he tallied 27 points, six rebounds and four assists as the Bruins defeated crosstown rival USC, 75-68, in the final regular-season game for both schools.

Jaquez Jr. has averaged 13.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 28 games for the Bruins this season. He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors, as announced by the Pac-12 Conference office on Tuesday morning. He has totaled four double-doubles this year, scoring in double figures in 19 of 28 games played. In addition, Jaquez Jr. has shot 48.1 percent from the field and 74.3 percent at the free-throw line.

The 57 combined points scored by Jaquez Jr., over consecutive games, stand as the highest two-game total for any UCLA player this season. Through those two games, Jaquez Jr. shot 63.6 percent from the field and was 14-for-18 at the free-throw line (77.8 percent).

Jaquez Jr. joined teammates Tyger Campbell and Johnny Juzang as first-team all-league honorees on Tuesday morning. In addition, he was recognized on the five-man Pac-12 All-Defensive Team for the second consecutive season.

No. 13-ranked UCLA will return to the court as the No. 2 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament this Thursday evening (quarterfinals). The Bruins will take on either No. 7-seed Washington State or No. 10-seed California. Game time at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is 6 p.m. (PT).