Fultz scored 25 points in an even matchup between the two freshman. With close to two dozen NBA executives in attendance, the game matched Ball against the Huskies' Markelle Fultz, who were among the nation's top point guards and projected to be among the top picks in the 2017 NBA draft. In a 107–66 blowout win against Washington, Ball had 22 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
He remained on the Wooden Award list in midseason, when he was also joined by Leaf, as UCLA was one of just five schools with two candidates on the list. Later in the year, Ball was named the MVP of the Wooden Legacy tournament, after he led UCLA to a win over Texas A&M in the championship game. In his first collegiate game against Pacific, he had 19 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds. Ball led the nation in assists and transformed the Bruins into the top scoring offense in the country. Leaf helped the Bruins bounce back from a 15–17 record from the year before. Ball's vision and passing skills led UCLA's rise up the national rankings, as he and fellow freshman T. Wooden Award, given annually to the top college player in the nation. As a freshman in 2016–17, he was one of 50 players named to the preseason watch list for the John R. In November 2015, he signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and play for the Bruins. College careerīall was rated a consensus five-star recruit by the major scouting services. He received national honors including the Naismith Prep Player of the Year, Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year, USA Today Boys Basketball Player of the Year, and Mr. Ball averaged a triple-double with averages of 23.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 11.7 assists per game. His younger brothers, junior LiAngelo and freshman LaMelo, were also on the team. In his senior year, he led the school to a 35–0 record and a state title, and the Huskies were ranked the consensus No. As a junior in 2014–15, he averaged 25 points, 11 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 5 blocks, and 5 steals. Ball played basketball at Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California. Until they reached high school, the trio played together on teams coached by their father. He grew up with his younger brothers, LiAngelo and LaMelo. īall started playing basketball at the age of two. A two-sport athlete, LaVar also played American football professionally for the London Monarchs in the World League of American Football. The 6-foot-6-inch (1.98 m) LaVar played at Washington State before transferring to Cal State Los Angeles, where the 6-foot (1.8 m) Tina was also playing. He also won the Wayman Tisdale Award as the top freshman in the nation.īall was born in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Anaheim, California, to LaVar and Tina Ball, who were both former college basketball players. As a college freshman in 2016–17, he led the nation in assists and broke the UCLA record for most assists in a season. He played college basketball for one season with the UCLA Bruins, earning consensus first-team All-American honors before declaring for the 2017 NBA Draft.Īs a high school senior at Chino Hills High School in 2016, Ball was awarded multiple national high school player of the year honors, and led his team to an undefeated record, as well as a national championship.
Lonzo Anderson Ball (born October 27, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Naismith Prep Player of the Year (2016).Consensus first-team All-American (2017).