(Photo Courtesy of Evan Manjikian/Instagram)
Sierra Canyon Forward Evan Manjikian Commits to UCLA Men's Basketball as Walk-On
With one walk-on walking out the door, the Bruins have added another.
Class of 2022 forward Evan Manjikian committed to UCLA men's basketball as a preferred walk-on Thursday morning, he announced in an Instagram post. Manjikian is two years removed from transferring from Crescenta Valley (CA) to Sierra Canyon (CA), and now he'll be playing under and even larger spotlight in Westwood.
Manjikian's commitment comes less than two weeks removed from walk-on forward Logan Cremonesi entering the transfer portal, meaning the Bruins now have an immediate replacement at the end of the bench.
Manjikian, a 6-foot-7 stretch four, has a similar build and profile to the departing Cremonesi. Guard Russell Stong is returning for a fifth season, keeping UCLA's number of walk-ons as two.
Between Manjikian, Stong and Cremonesi, the Bruins' walk-ons under coach Mick Cronin have exclusively come from headliner local high schools. Stong went to Crespi Carmelite (CA) in Encino, Cremonesi went to Mater Dei (CA) in Santa Ana and Manjikian is from Los Angeles.
That trend goes beyond the Cronin era, too, with former Sierra Canyon guard Joseph Wallace walking on back in 2017.
Manjikian averaged roughly four points and four rebounds per game for the Trailblazers his senior year, and he does not have a profile on 247Sports, Rivals or ESPN. However, Crescenta Valley coach Shawn Zargarian told the LA Daily News in February that Manjikian could have been in the Pacific League MVP race had he stayed put and not transferred to Sierra Canyon.
While at Sierra Canyon, Manjikian was teammates with UCLA-bound combo guard and McDonald's All-American Amari Bailey, in addition to Bronny James, Shy Odom, Isaiah Elohim and other nationally-ranked prospects.
As a walk-on, Manjikian's arrival won't impact scholarship numbers or the decisions of other Bruins considering a return next season. With guard Johnny Juzang and guard/forward Peyton Watson declaring for the NBA Draft and guard/forward Jake Kyman transferring to Wyoming, UCLA can officially fit incoming freshmen guard Amari Bailey, center Adem Bona and guard Dylan Andrews under the limit.
Guard Jules Bernard is currently in the NBA Draft pool, but he preserved his eligibility and could still come back even with Manjikian added to the roster.
Forward Cody Riley – another Sierra Canyon alum – center Myles Johnson, guard David Singleton and point guard Tyger Campbell have yet to publicize their plans for next season, but they are expected to lock in their decisions within the week.
Regardless, the Bruins will have at least four new faces arriving on campus over the summer – three national blue chips and a walk-on who has a history of playing alongside them.
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