NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Washington of last decade
By Joey Loose
10. Zach LaVine – UCLA
A top 50 recruit, LaVine is a 6’5 guard from Seattle who was highly regarded and made his way to UCLA back in 2013. He initially committed to coach Ben Howland but remained true when Steve Alford was brought in to lead the program. LaVine spent just one season in the college game but certainly did enough to justify a long NBA career.
The statistics aren’t the most eye-popping, but LaVine averaged 9.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game for the Bruins that year. He spent the season as the Bruins’ sixth man, helping them to an 8-0 start while settling into that role. He had a career-high 21 points in an early season win against Nevada and helped the Bruins to the Pac-12 Tournament title and a run to the Sweet Sixteen.
LaVine was Pac-12 All-Freshman for that season, hitting 37% of his 3-pointers and contributing off the bench for a solid UCLA squad. The numbers may not seem heroic or outstanding, but LaVine showed off enough of his talent and skill for the Bruins. He became the 13th pick of the 2014 NBA Draft and continues to star in the NBA nearly a decade later, suiting up for the Chicago Bulls.