UCLA Basketball Team May Get Another Import, From China

A member of the Chinese Olympic team is expected to add more international flavor to the UCLA basketball team next season.

Ma Jian, a 6-foot-6 forward, told reporters during the Barcelona Games that he will enroll at UCLA this fall.

Ma, 22, would join a Bruin roster that will include two Czechs--Richard Petruska and Jiri Zidek--and a Texan of Nigerian descent--Ike Nwankwo of Houston.

UCLA officials, citing NCAA rules that forbid them from discussing potential recruits, confirmed only that they have actively pursued Ma for more than a year.

Ma played fewer than 45 minutes in six games during the Olympics, averaging about four points for a Chinese team that finished last in the 12-team tournament with an 0-7 record. It was speculated that his playing time was cut after he disclosed that he would leave the team to enroll at UCLA.

He would be eligible for one season with the Bruins.