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UCLA Basketball Recruiting News: TJ Leaf Picks Bruins 3 Months After Leaving Arizona

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About three months after de-committing from Arizona, T.J. Leaf announced he will stay in the Pac-12 and committed to play basketball at UCLA.

According to ESPN, Leaf whittled his second commitment down to UCLA, Oregon, and San Diego State. A five-star power forward, Leaf ranks 13th overall on the 2016 ESPN 100.

"I have a great relationship with coach [Steve] Alford and all the other coaches there," Leaf said in his televised announcement on ESPNU. "Every time I go there, it just felt like home. I just did a lot of thinking and prayer about it, and I just feel like that's where I'm supposed to be.

"We connect really well," he said of UCLA's head coach, Steve Alford. "I think we have really similar personalities. I think he has a great basketball mind and can really help me succeed."

Leaf registered a 0.9936 composite score from 247 Sports, which rated him the fifth best power forward in the class of 2016. His commitment to UCLA gives Alford the fourth-best 2016 recruiting class in the nation, a 10-spot jump in ESPN's rankings.

"I am very excited to be playing with Lonzo Ball, who is a great passer," Leaf told ESPN. "When you play with Lonzo, you have to be ready because he will find you. Also Ike Anigbogu, who is a defensive force with his shot-blocking, and Kobe Paras, who plays with great energy."

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