NCAA grants waiver to transfer wing Johnny Juzang, making him eligible for UCLA in 2020-21

Johnny Juzang, a promising 6-5 wing who decided to transfer from Kentucky to UCLA after a single season with the Wildcats, has been granted a waiver to compete in the 2020-21 season by the NCAA.

A source close to Juzang told Sporting News that he will be permitted to play for the Bruins next season. A Los Angeles native who attended Harvard-Westlake School in Southern California, Juzang averaged 2.9 points for the Wildcats in 12 minutes per game.

But he was a hero of Kentucky’s dramatic last-second, last-day-of-the-season victory on the road at Florida. He scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting that including two 3-pointers in UK’s come-from-behind win over the Gators.

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Juzang occasionally struggled to get playing time with the Wildcats as they looked for him to bring consistent 3-point shooting from his position. He entered with a reputation as an elite shooter but hit .326 from long range. In the season’s last two games, though, he was 4-of-6 on threes, including 2-of-4 in what became the final game of UK’s season, when itrallied from 18 points down to beat the Gators on the road and win the SEC outright.

With starting point guard Ashton Hagans sitting out the game and SEC Player of the Year Immanuel Quickley struggling with foul trouble, Juzang played a career-high 33 minutes and was the Wildcats’ third-leading scorer in the game.

After the NCAA Tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kentucky coach John Calipari said, Juzang’s family expressed an interest in him returning to play closer to home.

“Johnny had a great year and really got better as the season went on,” Calipari said when Juzang announced his decision. “I always enjoyed coaching him.”