LOCAL NOTES : Center From Arizona Says He Will Join UCI Basketball Team

Greg Ethington, a 6-foot-8 center from Chandler, Ariz., said he will play basketball at UC Irvine this season.

Ethington signed a letter of intent with Pepperdine last year. He asked to be released from the commitment when Wave Coach Lorenzo Romar resigned to become the coach at Saint Louis.

The 235-pound Ethington will be immediately eligible and should help improve the Anteaters’ inside game. He averaged 14 points and nine rebounds at Gilbert High School last season.