UCLA Inks Myles Johnson
UCLA MEN’S BASKETBALL SIGNS GRADUATE STUDENT MYLES JOHNSON
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA men’s basketball program has received a signed grant-in-aid from Myles Johnson, a 6-foot-11 center that will enroll in graduate school after transferring from Rutgers University (Piscataway, N.J.).
Johnson will be a senior at UCLA in 2021-22 after having played three seasons at Rutgers. He was a four-year varsity basketball letter winner at Long Beach Poly High School (Long Beach, Calif.) before enrolling at Rutgers in 2017.
“We’re very excited to add Myles Johnson to our program,” said Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men’s Head Basketball Coach. “Myles has a vision for where he wants to be and what he aspires to do, beyond playing basketball, and I believe that he’s a great fit for UCLA. He is an experienced player who has really improved during his four years in college, and he will be a critical piece for us in the frontcourt next season. With Myles having graduated from nearby Long Beach Poly, I know that he’s looking forward to being back in Southern California and playing in Pauley Pavilion.”
Last season, Johnson averaged 8.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in all 28 games (22 starts) for Rutgers in 2020-21. He led the team in rebounding (8.5 rpg) and blocks (2.4 bpg) and was second on the team in overall field goal percentage (62.8%). He finished the 2020-21 season ranking No. 2 in the Big Ten Conference in blocked shots (2.4 bpg) and No. 6 in rebounding (8.5 rpg).
Rutgers went 16-12 overall in 2020-21, advancing to the NCAA Tournament’s second round with a 60-56 win over No. 7-seed Clemson in a first-round matchup in the Midwest Regional.
Johnson has been a two-time Big Ten All-Academic honoree (2019-20, 2018-19) and was named to the NABC Honors Court in 2020. As a junior in 2020-21, he secured honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference acclaim, as selected by members of the media.
Johnson will graduate from Rutgers with his undergraduate degree in electrical and computer engineering this spring before he enrolls in UCLA’s graduate program in engineering.
As a sophomore in 2019-20, Johnson averaged 7.8 points and a team-leading 7.9 rebounds per game. He also registered a team-best 47 blocks. As a freshman in 2018-19, he averaged 4.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Johnson will join an incoming UCLA class that features a pair of freshmen guards in Peyton Watson (Long Beach, Calif.) and Will McClendon (Las Vegas, Nev.). Watson is currently a senior at Long Beach Poly High School, while McClendon is a senior at Bishop Gorman High School.