UCLA Men's Basketball Signs Myles Johnson
April 19, 2021 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELESย โ The UCLA men's basketball program has received a signed grant-in-aid from Myles Johnson, a 6-foot-11 center who will enroll in graduate school after transferring from Rutgers University (New Jersey).
ย
Johnson will be a senior at UCLA in 2021-22 after having played three seasons at Rutgers. He was a four-year varsity basketball letterwinner at Long Beach Poly High School (Long Beach, Calif.) before enrolling at Rutgers in 2017.
ย
"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."
ย
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).
ย
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.
ย
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.
ย
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.
ย
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.
ย
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.
