UCLA’s men’s basketball team suffered another defection Tuesday when the school announced that power forward Jonah Bolden had opted to play professionally and would surrender his final two years of eligibility.
The 6-foot-10 Bolden becomes the second Bruin to leave the program this summer after guard Kobe Paras withdrew from school last month because of academic issues. Paras has since signed with Creighton.
Bolden was a part-time starter for the Bruins last season after being declared ineligible as a freshman because his high school transfer from Australia did not conform with NCAA rules. A UCLA spokesman would not comment on Bolden’s academic status at the time of his departure, citing privacy laws.