As they continue searching for depth and size in their back court, the Boston
Celtics announced on July 11 that they have added former UCLA guard JaRon Rush
to their 2000 Shaw's Pro Summer League roster.
Rush, who will join former UCLA teammate and Celtics first round draft choice
Jerome Moiso on the roster, played in 37 games in his two-year career with the
Bruins, averaging 11.6 points and 6.9 rebounds.
At the conclusion of the 1999-00 collegiate campaign, Rush declared himself
an early entry into the 2000 NBA Draft. By adding him to their summer league
roster the Celtics may have nailed down a sleeper, as many NBA insiders were
shocked to see Rush go undrafted.
"JaRon was one of the premier talents to come out of high school in the Class
of 1998," said Celtics Director of Player Personnel Leo Papile, who saw Rush
play for his AAU team, the Kansas City 76ers. "But he had a limited window at
UCLA. Some people feel he was going to be a first round pick . He was a what we
call a slider."
Described by scouts as an A-class athlete with a streaky shot, Rush turned
heads with a sparkling freshmen year at UCLA. The 6-7 swingman led the Bruins in
rebounding with 7.3 boards per contest and also chipped in 11.4 points per game.
His numbers earned him Pac-10 All-Freshman team and Basketball News Freshman
All-America team honors.
A potentially brilliant college career was shortened when the NCAA suspended
the 21-year old for all but nine games of his sophomore season (1999-00) for
violations. He still excelled when he was on the floor, averaging 12.1 points
and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 55.8 percent from the field. He posted a
season-high 19 points in a nationally televised game at Stanford, in which the
UCLA upset the top-ranked Cardinal.
"We had JaRon in for work outs before the draft, as we had some interest in
him for our first round pick," said Papile. "That he is on our Shaw's Pro Summer
League roster gives us a free shot at a potential first rounder. He runs and
jumps real well. He is a streaky shooter now, but he has the potential to be
real good."
"Along with Kris Clack, we feel we now have tremendous athleticism at the
shooting guard position. This is a big hit for the Celtics."
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