UCLA receives commitment from Daishen Nix, nation’s top point guard prospect

UCLA freshmen Jamie Jaquez Jr. and Jake Kyman were scrolling through Instagram when they learned the news.

“Oh, look who we got,” Jaquez recalled of his reaction. “How funny is that?”

The Bruins could chuckle Tuesday after landing their biggest recruiting coup since Lonzo Ball when Daishen Nix, widely considered the top point guard prospect in the nation, became the first player to commit for new coach Mick Cronin.

The 6-foot-5 guard from Las Vegas Trinity International school can sign a binding letter of intent in November. He was also considering Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland and Alabama, which he had listed as his other finalists.

Cronin cannot comment on recruits until they sign letters of intent. Nix took his official visit to UCLA over the weekend and was hosted by redshirt freshman forward Shareef O’Neal.

“We talked to him, hung out with him and told him we’d love to have him,” Jaquez said, “and it’s a great pickup for us.”

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Said Kyman: “I’ve seen a couple of clips of him play. He distributes the ball well, can score a little bit too, so I’m excited to play with him.”

UCLA is thin at point guard, with redshirt freshman Tyger Campbell (knee) and sophomore David Singleton (foot) both recovering from major injuries.

The Bruins will have at least two more scholarships available for the 2020-21 season with seniors Prince Ali and Alex Olesinski exhausting their eligibility after this season and an open spot on the current roster.