Ariza Leaving UCLA to Explore Pro Options

Against the advice of his coach and apparently the wishes of his mother, forward Trevor Ariza withdrew from classes at UCLA on Tuesday and planned to inform the NBA in a letter today that he would be available for the June draft.

Although he said he would not retain an agent, Ariza made it clear he would not return to UCLA for a second season. If he goes undrafted, he said he would explore other professional options. A last resort would be transferring to another college and sitting out a year.

Mostly, he’s thinking positive about his NBA chances.

“I’m not really thinking about, what if it doesn’t happen,” he said. “I think it is going to happen.”

UCLA is prohibited from discussing the academic status of players, but sources said Ariza’s winter-quarter grades in classes that included geography, English and music appreciation of the Beatles were good enough for him to remain eligible next season.

Ariza, 6 feet 7 and 205 pounds, averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in 25 games as a freshman. He shot 42.6% from the field but made only 23.7% of his 76 three-point attempts and only 50.4% of his free throws.

He missed the first three games because of a collapsed lung but soon became a fixture in the starting lineup at small forward. Coach Ben Howland planned to move him to power forward, and his departure leaves a void at that position.

Only a week ago, Ariza told Howland he was staying at UCLA. But he and his mother met with the coach Monday to say the plan had changed.

“Over the weekend, I had a change of heart and decided to go after my goal, my ultimate goal,” he said.

Ariza, who attended Westchester High, said during the season that the most influential person in his life was his mother, Lolita, who lives in Los Angeles.

“She’s been telling me to stay in school,” he said Tuesday. “But I have to live my life.

“My mom supports me. She’s behind what I do. She may not agree with it at first, but now that it’s what I want to do, she’s behind me.”

Howland said he did his best to convince Ariza that he would benefit from another year at UCLA. Ariza, who doesn’t turn 19 until June 30, had trouble putting on weight during the season.

Also, this year’s NBA draft is loaded with talent, including six or more high school players expected to be taken in the first round.

“I tried to convince him that it was best to stay in school and come back next year,” Howland said. “It would benefit him as a student and as a basketball player. His mother echoed the sentiments.”

Ariza admitted that no pro scout or anyone else of authority has told him he would be drafted. When he was recruited, he told then-Bruin coach Steve Lavin that he probably would leave after one year, but his departure after an average season puzzled many at UCLA.

Little more than a month ago, in fact, Ariza acknowledged that he needed another year of college seasoning, saying, “If I thought I was ready [for the NBA], everybody would know I was ready. There would be no question when it’s time for me to go. I need to get more efficient with my game and get stronger, definitely.”

Ariza is the second Bruin to make himself available for the draft. Swingman Dijon Thompson, the team’s leading scorer last season, has not retained an agent and is enrolled in classes. He is expected to return for his senior season.

Ariza has left himself no such option. He said his daily routine would include shooting in a gym in the morning, lifting weights, then returning to the gym.

“I’m positive that everything will go the way I plan,” he said.