Class of 2013 Point Guard Zach LaVine Commits to UCLA

Class of 2013 point guard Zach LaVine committed to the UCLA Bruins Wednesday evening, according to Edward Lewis of Bruin Sports Report.

LaVine spoke with UCLA coach Ben Howland on the phone, according to Lewis. After a brief conversation, he was ready to commit. "I told him thanks for the opportunity," LaVine said. "I'm just ready to be a Bruin."

UCLA had been considered to be leading for the 6'3" Bothell (Wash.) High guard for awhile now, making Wednesday's announcement somewhat expected. Josh Paunil of the National Recruiting Service tweeted Wednesday night that UCLA had been the leader for LaVine "from day one."

The Seattle Times, reporting on the Washington Class 4A state tournament last February, said LaVine "can flat-out score, and makes it look easy. He has already caught the attention of some elite college programs."

LaVine is the 98th-ranked player in the ESPN 100 and the No. 1 player in the state of Washington, with a grade of 81 (out of 99). He is ranked No. 140 by the Rivals.com Rivals 150 and No. 73 by Scout.com.

According to ESPN, LaVine had also had offers from Gonzaga, Louisville, Washington and Washington State.

This marks a key grab for Howland, who missed out on the commitment of class of 2013 point guard Solomon Poole (Jacksonville, Fla.) on Saturday. Poole picked Georgia Tech over a host of schools, which included the Bruins.

LaVine is the first commitment for Howland in the class of 2013.