UCLA Basketball: Bruins Alum Named to Summer League All-Rookie Team

He's made good on his days toiling for the Blue and Gold.

Mar 23, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) reaches for a loose ball against UCLA Bruins guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (24) and forward Kenneth Nwuba (14) during the first half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

All-Pac-12 UCLA Bruins small forward-turned-Miami Heat All-Rookie First Teamer Jaime Jaquez Jr., appearing in a pair of Summer League contests this year, was named to the NBA 2K25 All-Summer League Second Team, the league's official PR team X account revealed.

The 6-foot-6 swingman was joined on the second team by rookies Carlton "Bub" Carrington of the Washington Wizards and Donovan Clingan of the Portland Trail Blazers, plus second-year players Jarace Walker of the Indiana Pacers and Jalen Wilson of the Brooklyn Nets.

Across two Summer League contests, Jaquez averaged 26.0 points on .581/.429/.813 shooting splits, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals a night in his two Las Vegas Summer League games.

Jaquez, the best player on the Bruins' 2022-23 team that advanced all the way to the Sweet Sixteen, submitted a stellar first pro season with the Heat. He averaged 11.9 points while shooting .489/.322/.811, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.0 steals across 75 bouts (20 starts), operating as a key cog for a good-not-great playoff team in Miami, which finished as the Eastern Conference's No. 8 seed with a 46-36 record amidst a rash of veteran injuries.

Read More: UCLA Basketball: Former Bruin Jaime Jaquez Makes an NBA All-Rookie Team

For his efforts, Jaquez finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting and ninth in Sixth Man of the Year voting. It seems like the budding young star is capable of making a major leap during his second pro season.

Without Jaquez on the roster, Mick Cronin's Bruins took a nosedive in 2023-24, finishing with a sub-.500 record (16-17) for the first time in Cronin's tenure. The team pivoted this offseason, bringing in a variety of talented transfers and moving on from several international true freshmen. Will the club notch another deep NCAA Tournament run in 2025? Time will tell.

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