UCLA lands another five-star

The first time T.J. Leaf made a commitment last fall, he surprisingly spurned UCLA for its rival Arizona.

When Leaf made a second commitment Thursday afternoon on ESPN Recruiting Nation, the Bruins didn't miss twice.

"After this long decision, I have decided that I'm going to be going to UCLA," Leaf said on the ESPNU show.

A 6-foot-10, 215-pound skilled power forward, Leaf had been considered a UCLA lean early on in his recruitment. Steve Alford made him a priority almost immediately after his hiring in Westwood, and with Compton Magic ties (five of the Bruins' seven 2016 and 2017 commitments have now come from the AAU powerhouse), many had Leaf pegged for UCLA last August.

Yet things changed over the summer in 2014, and he eventually pledged to Arizona in the fall.

"I have a great relationship with all the coaches there, including coach (Sean) Miller," Leaf told ESPN.com at the time. "That's a big plus. Their style of play, how they use their 4s, interchangeable with their 3s, that's what I want. And I have the opportunity to come in and make an impact as a freshman."

Things changed again for Leaf this past summer, however, shortly after Sean Miller cut the five-star El Cajon (Calif.) Foothills Christian athlete from the USA Basketball U19 team. Leaf decided to decommit, and immediately, UCLA became the favorite once again for the nation's No. 15 prospect.

On Thursday, he made that sentiment official.

"I have a great relationship with coach Alford and all the other coaches there," Leaf said on ESPN Recruiting Nation. "Every time I go there, it just feels like home. I just did a lot of thinking and prayer about it and I just feel like that's where I'm supposed to be. I'm excited about it.

"(Alford and I) connect really well. I think we have really similar personalities and I just think he has a great basketball mind that can really help me succeed as well."

Leaf's addition to UCLA's 2016 class of five-star point guard Lonzo Ball, four-star center Ike Anigbogu and three-star wing Kobe Paras gives UCLA a firm hold as the No. 4 recruiting class in the country, per national basketball analyst Eric Bossi's Rivals.com rankings.

More importantly to Alford, though, Leaf's commitment gives UCLA yet another possible all-conference prospect to mold.

"The thought with Leaf is that he has such a terrific blend of positional size and skill that he should be able to handle the tough transition to Pac-12 basketball easier than the typical recruit," Bossi said. "Leaf shoots very well, he's a good vertical athlete, crashes the glass and he has a pretty balanced inside/out game.

"As is typical with most high schoolers, adjusting to speed and overall size of college ball will be most important. Leaf is somewhat stiff in his movement at times so I would think promoting flexibility is going to be just as, if not more, important than adding bulk when he hits the UCLA strength and conditioning program."