Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Report: NCAA rules UCLA freshman power forward ineligible for 2014-15 season

jonah-bolden

FIBA

With Isaac Hamilton eligible after having to sit out all of last season and three talented freshman big men joining the ranks, UCLA is expected to be one of the teams looking to make life difficult for prohibitive favorite Arizona in the Pac-12 this season. Unfortunately for the Bruins, they’ll be without one of those freshman big men due to the fact that the NCAA has declared him to be a partial qualifier.

According to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com the NCAA has declared 6-foot-9 freshman power forward Jonah Bolden ineligible for the upcoming season. Bolden, a four-star prospect who was ranked 32nd in the Class of 2014 by Rivals.com, was expected to be an immediate impact player because of his ability to play both inside and step out onto the perimeter as a face-up power forward.

Sources told ESPN the issue stems from Bolden leaving Australia after his senior campaign had already begun to attend Findlay Prep in Las Vegas. Bolden left Findlay in December and finished at Brewster Academy.

According to Ryan Kartje of the Orange County Register, Bolden has yet to be cleared to practice with the team.

Without Bolden the Bruins will still have options in the front court, most notably fellow freshmen Kevon Looney and Thomas Welsh and junior Tony Parker. UCLA also adds freshman Gyorgy Goloman, who at 6-foot-10 is the team’s second-tallest player behind the 7-footer Welsh. Parker’s development was already going to be important for UCLA, despite the arrival of the talented freshman big men. Without Bolden the need for the junior to take a step forward becomes greater.

Parker averaged 6.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season, and in each of his first two seasons at UCLA consistency has been an issue for the former McDonald’s All-American. However he played well at last month’s adidas Nations camp, and if Parker can build on that performance it would bode well for UCLA moving forward.

Follow @raphiellej