Kobe Paras will don the powder blue and gold come next collegiate season!
The University of California, Los Angeles has formally received a signed letter of intent from Kobe Paras to play for the UCLA Bruins early Thursday morning Philippine time.
Already sending in his commitment a year ago to the basketball powerhouse, the 128th ranked high school senior by scouting website Rivals.com sent his letter during the first day of the early signing period of the NCAA.
“We’re always looking for players who’ve grown up immersed in basketball, and Kobe definitely fits that mold,” said UCLA head coach Steve Alford said to the UCLA Athletics website. “He just loves the game. To add a talented player like Kobe to our program is terrific. He’s a very athletic guard who plays with tremendous energy. We like how he can attack off the dribble and get to the rim in the open court, and we’re excited that he’ll be joining us in Westwood.”
Paras, a 6-foot-6 guard who has spent the last two years in Los Angeles, grew up in the Philippines. As a junior last season at Cathedral High School, Paras averaged 15 points per game. He is currently attending Cathedral High School and is playing for the Middlebrooks Academy Team.
Paras helped lead the Philippines to a gold medal in the FIBA Asia Under-18 3×3 championship in May 2013. He won the FIBA 3×3 Championships’ slam dunk contest in June 2015, representing the Philippines as well.
The UCLA Bruins play in the Pacific-12 Collegiate Conference. There are 12 squads competing in the conference, including Arizona, Oregon, and Washington. All-time, UCLA has won four conference championships with the most recent coming from the 2014 season.
