David Singleton to Play Super Senior Year For UCLA Men’s Basketball
David Singleton sent out a teaser Wednesday night that he would be making his decision on his future the next day.
Thursday arrived, and Singleton made his intentions clear – he's coming back to Westwood for one last ride.
The UCLA men's basketball guard has already played four seasons in Pauley Pavilion, but thanks to the NCAA granting additional eligibility to student-athletes whose seasons were impacted by COVID-19 in 2020, Singleton is able to return for one more. Singleton has appeared in 127 games for the Bruins, starting in 24 of those contests while only missing four, and he is one of the final holdovers from the Steve Alford era.
Singleton has been one of the Pac-12's most efficient long-range shooters since he stepped foot on campus in 2018, posting a 3-point percentage above 45% in three of his four seasons. For his career, Singleton is averaging 4.7 points in 17.8 minutes per game while shooting 43.8% from deep and 70.0% from the free throw line. Singleton is just 19 triples away from surpassing Darren Collison and breaking into UCLA's all-time top 10 in 3-pointers made, and he currently sits at No. 4 in program history in 3-point percentage.
It didn't take long for that high-level 3-point shooting to catch on, and when Alford was replaced by interim coach Murry Bartow midseason, Singleton's foothold in the rotation only grew. Singleton averaged a career-high 5.2 points per game as a freshman, with his 13 and 14-point outings to start Pac-12 play lifting the Bruins to a pair of wins to open the Bartow era.
After a few more double-digit scoring performances, Singleton played a season-high 33 minutes in the Pac-12 tournament against Stanford before ultimately leaving the game with a broken foot. Singleton was ready for the beginning of the next season, with Mick Cronin taking over while he still worked his way back.
Singleton notched career-lows in points per game, 2-point attempts per game, 3-point percentage and field goal percentage that year, but he started in 14 of UCLA's last 15 games. That stretch lined up with the Bruins' 11-3 end to the regular season, with Singleton managing to contribute in an all-around role regardless of the otherwise falling production.
Over the next two seasons, Singleton's minutes dwindled slightly and he was no longer a consistent member of the starting five. That didn't mean he was without his moments, though – Singleton tied his career high with 15 points in the Sweet 16 against Alabama, helping UCLA secure its second overtime win of the 2021 Final Four run. Just this past January, Singleton knocked down six 3-pointers to finish with 22 points when the Bruins were shorthanded due to injuries and health protocols.
Singleton did not score a single point in the regular season finale against USC, nor did he add any across UCLA's three Pac-12 tournament games. After being scoreless against in the Round of 64 and Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament, Singleton did not check in against North Carolina in the Sweet 16.
Despite the diminished role, Singleton is on his way back to a Bruin team that would have had a massive hole on the perimeter had he left. With Jake Kyman transferring to Wyoming and Johnny Juzang declaring for the NBA Draft, UCLA would not have been returning any wings who shot better than 34% from 3 last season.
“David has been a great leader for us, and we are excited that he will continue his education and use his extra year of eligibility,” Cronin said in a statement released by the team. “David has been a big shot maker through the past four seasons, and his return is a major boost for us. He embodies everything that our program believes in, and personally, I’m just happy that I get to spend another year coaching David.”
As it stands, the Bruins have 12 scholarship players on the roster for next season – one under the NCAA limit. If Jules Bernard returns from the NBA Draft pool, UCLA will hit the cap, but should Cody Riley or center Myles Johnson move on, Cronin's staff would be able to hit the transfer market in search for another piece.
Cronin will have Singleton, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyger Campbell, Jaylen Clark and potentially Bernard back next year, meaning that even with the multiple departures, the fourth-year coach has his fair share of veterans at his disposal in 2022.
Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @SI_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @SI.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube
Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA men's basketball stories: UCLA Men's Basketball on Sports Illustrated
