‘Eaters go down under once again

Steve Virgen

Aaron Bruce, a 6-foot-2 guard who helped lead Australia to the World

Junior Basketball championship last month, plans to play for UC

Irvine this season, pending clearance from the NCAA, according to

published reports and Marc Howard, the media relations director for

Basketball Australia.

“He was offered a scholarship to play over there [UC Irvine],”

Howard said. “And, it’s been reported on over here that he plans to

go there.”

Bruce has applied for classes at UCI, according to the Wimmera

Mail-Times in Australia. UCI and its basketball coaches cannot

discuss the recruiting of Bruce, since he still needs to be cleared

by the NCAA. But the Anteaters do have two scholarships available

because of the transfers of DeVaughn Peace and Ryan Codi.

Bruce is finishing his final tests at the Australian Institute of

Sport, the same school that current UCI player Nic Campbell came

from. Campbell missed the majority of last season with a back injury,

but is expected to return this season. He played sparingly in three

games last season before suffering the back injury.

Bruce came off the bench and scored 25 points to lead the

Australians to a 106-85 victory over the U.S. July 17 at the World

Junior Basketball Championships in Greece.

“He wasn’t on the radar until he had that big game against the

U.S.,” Howard said. “He was playing real well in that game.”

A day after the game, foxsports.com reported that Bruce was bound

for UCI, so the Anteaters were more than likely recruiting Bruce

before the upset over the Americans, who were undefeated in the

tournament heading into their game against Australia.

Bruce scored 10 points, as Australia defeated Croatia, 97-84, in

the semifinals of the world championships. Bruce suffered a thigh

injury, but still came back to distribute four assists in 16 minutes

in the Australians’ title-winning game. It was the first world

championship in basketball for Australia.

The Australian Institute of Sport’s web site lists Bruce as a

guard with great speed, energy and enthusiasm.

He will more than likely be one of three players who will be

battling to be the starting shooting guard for the Anteaters.

Sophomores Mike Efevberha and Ross Schraeder are also projected to

vie for the guard position. Bruce can also back up Jeff Gloger as the

point guard, since Bruce has experience at both positions.