As he watched his future rival dominate his future teammates game after game, TJ Leaf didn’t feel a surge of exasperation. He sensed opportunity.
“It wasn’t so much being angry, but just more excited just to come in and try to make an impact,” the UCLA freshman power forward said Tuesday. He was referring to USC’s dominance in the rivalry last season, when the Trojans won all three games in a season for the first time since 1942.
“Watching those games, I knew what we could be next year, so now I’m just excited to be in that moment.