UCLA Basketball: Former Bruins DPOY Almost Played For Pac-12 Rival

The former Bruins star was scheduled to go to this Pac-12 foe.

One former UCLA Bruin was set to take his talents to another Pac-12 school. 

The Los Angeles Times' Ben Bolch shared that he recently learned former Bruin and current NBA rookie guard Jaylen Clark first intended to attend Colorado for college. 

Just learned Jaylen Clark intended to go to Colorado but was told the Buffs wanted Nique Clifford the day before Clark's official visit. Clifford averaged 5.4 points in 3 seasons before transferring to Colorado State. Clark went to a Final Four & was National Defensive POY.

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) February 21, 2024

Bolch said he was going to become a Buffalo before Clark learned the Buffs wanted Nique Clifford the day before his official visit. 

It was a blessing in disguise for Clark as Clifford wasn't impressive for the Buffaloes. In contrast, Clark was a catalyst for the Bruins program in his tenure. 

Clark was as good as it gets for his role. He started at UCLA in a reserve role but came up huge for the Bruins throughout his freshman season, especially in their Final Four run in 2021. He only got better and better on both sides of the ball. However, defense is where he thrived. 

The three-year Bruin was the top defender in the country and was recognized for it. He was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches named him their defensive player for the year. He was also voted Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. The 22-year-old was pivotal to the Bruins' success in that three-year run. 

Clark eventually left for the NBA draft and was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 53rd overall pick. 

Things would have been different for Clark and the Bruins if he had decided to stick with Colorado. Bruin fans and alumni are thankful he found his way to Westwood.