SAN FRANCISCO – UCLA freshman TJ Leaf has earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors for the second time in three weeks, as announced Monday by the Pac-12 Conference office.
 
Leaf, a 6-foot-10 forward from El Cajon, Calif., averaged 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in UCLA's two wins last week. He finished two assists shy of a triple-double in the win over UC Santa Barbara last Wednesday, totaling 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Leaf registered 13 points and eight rebounds in the team's 86-73 win against Ohio State on Saturday in Las Vegas.
 
Leaf leads the Pac-12 and ranks 10th, nationally, in field goal percentage (66.4%). In addition, he ranks third in the Pac-12 in scoring (17.8 ppg), sixth in rebounding (9.3 rpg) and No. 14 in assists per game (3.0 apg).
 
With Leaf excelling in UCLA's frontcourt, the Bruins have opened the season with a 12-0 record, the program's best to any season since 2006-07, when UCLA began the year with 14 consecutive wins.
 
This marks the third time this season in which one of UCLA's players has captured Pac-12 Player of the Week honors. Leaf was also named the conference's player of the week on Dec. 5, while classmate Lonzo Ball was honored with the weekly award on Nov. 28.
 
The Bruins are currently ranked No. 2 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls.
 
UCLA returns to action against Western Michigan (3-7) on Wednesday evening in Pauley Pavilion. Game time is 8 p.m. UCLA's game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network and will mark the team's final non-conference regular season game before opening Pac-12 play at Oregon on Wednesday, Dec. 28.