One of Southern California’s top prospects has moved the Bruins to the final stage of his recruiting.
Class of 2023 shooter Dusty Stromer narrowed his list to four finalists on Wednesday, he announced on social media in conjunction with On3’s Joe Tipton. UCLA men’s basketball is one of those finalists, with Gonzaga, Arizona and Houston being the other contenders.
Stromer also had offers from Cal, Creighton, Illinois, Long Beach State, Louisville, Ole Miss, Nevada, New Mexico, Pepperdine, Rutgers, San Diego State, TCU, Texas A&M, UNLV and USC, but they all missed out. the cup. .
The 6-foot-6 Notre Dame (CA) Sherman Oaks guard picked up his offer from the Bruins on Aug. 16, a month after Houston’s offer. Gonzaga and Arizona were Stromer’s two most recent offers, and he made an official visit to the Bulldogs in February.
Stromer talked about some of his options earlier in the season in an interview with On3detailing his overall relationship with UCLA.
“I love the coaching staff,” Stromer said. “Me and my dad – especially my dad, he really, really gets along with the coaches and I think that’s a big part of that, like a real relationship with the staff. I feel like we We have a very good relationship. It’s close to my house, so my mother likes it a bit.
Stromer made several unofficial visits to Westwood, an easy trip for the wing who lives about 8 miles away.
Bruins staff have been watching Stromer for a long time, monitoring and evaluating him as early as last offseason when he was a sophomore.
Stromer has taken a big step forward this season, averaging 21.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game for Notre Dame. Stromer is currently shooting 48% from the field, 40% from deep and 81% from the free throw line, all career highs.
247Sports, Rivals and ESPN all rated Stromer as a four-star prospect. The 247Sports Composite ranked Stromer as the No. 5 player in California, the No. 7 shooting guard in the nation and the No. 37 prospect in his class. Stromer is not ranked below No. 52 across all major outlets.
UCLA does not yet have a commitment for its 2023 recruiting class, but they are semifinalists for top prospects Mookie Cook and Rayvon Griffith. All 16 offers coach Mick Cronin and his team have sent are four- or five-star recruits, potentially creating another class that can rival the incoming 2022 squad of Amari Bailey, Adem Bona and Dylan Andrews.
Stromer didn’t announce a timeline on his ultimate decision, giving the Bruins plenty of time to wrap things up with the homegrown product. However, it might be in UCLA’s best interest to welcome Stromer on a visit this weekend — official or otherwise — given that Saturday’s game against USC will be the club’s final home game. team until next November.
If Stromer plans to commit before the early signing period next fall, Saturday presents itself as a potentially major chance to roll out the red carpet to a crowded Pauley Pavilion. The game is already sold out, according to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, and has major playoff implications, in addition to the rivalry environment between the cities.
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