UCLA forward Hill says he is retiring from basketball
Citing “a bunch of anxiety and depression problems” that started when he was arrested for shoplifting in China before his collegiate debut, UCLA redshirt junior forward Jalen Hill said Tuesday that he was retiring from basketball.
Hill made his announcement during a six-minute Instagram video, saying that he did not speak publicly earlier because he did not want to distract from his team’s run to the Final Four. He had departed the Bruins in early February, with the team citing personal reasons.
“I just had to distance myself because the head space I was in, it was damaging the team,” Hill said in the video. “So I didn’t want to restrict them from achieving their goals too.”
Hill said his issues snowballed over the last year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. After missing the season’s first two games because of knee tendinitis, he struggled to round into form, averaging 6.5 points and 5.9 rebounds in the 14 games before his departure.
— Ben Bolch
A day after crowning a national champion for the first time since 2019, NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt told reporters that the successful men’s college basketball tournament held primarily in Indianapolis and exclusively in Indiana could create a late-round model for future tournaments.
Luka Garza of Iowa won the John R. Wooden Award as the nation’s top men’s college basketball player . ... San Jose State hired former Nebraska coach Tim Miles to take over the Spartans’ struggling program . ... Connecticut senior Isaiah Whaley decided to take advantage of the extra year of eligibility being offered to athletes by the NCAA and will return for a fifth year with the Huskies . ... Rasir Bolton, Iowa State’s leading scorer this past season, entered the
NCAA transfer portal and will look to play at his third school in four years . ... Villanova forward Cole Swider signed a financial aid agreement with Syracuse and will join the men’s basketball program after three seasons with the Wildcats . ... Stanford point guard Kiana Williams declared herself eligible for the WNBA draft . ... Vanderbilt fired women’s basketball coach Stephanie White after five seasons and a 46-83 record . ... Connecticut guard Anna Makurat said she will transfer.