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UCLA lands Kapono

Artesia, Calif., All-America follows O'Bannon brothers

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Posted: Saturday May 22, 1999 08:37 AM

Kapono shot 92.5 percent from the foul line and averaged 1.4 blocks a game. AP

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Jason Kapono, regarded as one of the nation's top high school basketball players this past season, signed on Thursday to attend UCLA.

A 6-foot-8, 210-pounder from Artesia High School in suburban Lakewood, Kapono averaged 23.5 points, 7.6 assists, nine rebounds and 3.3 steals in his senior season for Artesia, which went 32-2.

Kapono, who made several first-team prep All-America teams, playing in the prestigious McDonald's game, also shot 92.5 percent from the foul line and averaged 1.4 blocks a game.

Kapono's signing saves the Bruins from an empty recruiting season, one in which they lost out on top prospects Carlos Boozer (to Duke) and Kareem Rush (Missouri). Kapono also follows the path of the O'Bannon brothers, Ed and Charles, who starred at Artesia and went on to play at UCLA.

Kapono finished his high school career as the school's all-time leader in games played, 132 to Charles O'Bannon's 126; and scoring, with 2,678 career points to Charles O'Bannon's 2,177.

Kapono also rewrote several Artesia records that Ed O'Bannon had established, including points in a season, 823 to Ed O'Bannon's 814, and points in a game, 52 to O'Bannon's 50 in a 1990 contest.

 

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