T.J. Leaf’s departure from Arizona’s 2016 basketball recruiting class is a simple connect-the-dots process.
First, UCLA never stopped recruiting him. It assigned pitbull-type recruiter David Grace to Leaf, and Grace employed UCLA’s closest ally in Southern California, the Adidas-sponsored Compton Magic AAU team, to help steer the 6-foot-10-inch power forward to Pauley Pavilion.
The Bruins are no longer a sleeping giant. Under Steve Alford, they are again a recruiting giant. UCLA is the Pac-12’s leading Adidas school, and that influence fuels the Compton Magic. Look at its website. Adidas this. Adidas that.