While Bruin athletes continue competing in Westwood, here’s a look at some of the biggest news from the rest of the Pac-12.
Stanford standout turns down international offer
Jordan Morris, a junior on the Cardinal men’s soccer team last fall, was the most sought after collegiate player this offseason. For the past weeks, Morris appeared to be gearing up for a deal with Bundesliga club Werder Bremen. The 21-year-old joined Bremen on trial at its winter training camp in Turkey, and the club announced that it had extended an offer earlier this week.
In a controversial decision, however, Morris apparently decided against it.
“Following intense talks, (Morris) made clear that he currently sees his future in America,” said Bremen chief executive Thomas Eichin on Tuesday. “Of course, we respect this decision.”
Now, the U.S. Men’s National Team striker is likely headed to the Seattle Sounders, who control his Major League Soccer rights. The Sounders offered their former academy star the largest homegrown contract in league history and have announced a press conference Thursday where it is expected Morris will be joining the club. Even MLS commissioner Don Garber spoke publicly about the desire to keep Morris from going overseas.
Morris was one of the best collegiate players last year, helping lead the 2015 Cardinal squad to the national title. His 29 points were highest in the Pac-12 and he scored a conference-leading 13 goals.
The Sun Devils heat up
The Arizona State women’s basketball team is the only Pac-12 squad to remain unbeaten in conference play entering the final weeks of January. The Sun Devils are 6-0 and have won their games by an average of over 16.3 points a game.
The conference leaders were ranked No. 8 in Monday’s AP poll in the midst of their 12-game win streak, marking the highest spot the team has reached since 2007.
“We are pretty good,” said Sun Devil head coach Charli Turner Thorne.
That certainly seems to be the case. UCLA will face Arizona State for the first time in the 2015-16 season on Feb. 5 in Tempe, Arizona.
Bruin basketball star to enter Hall of Honor
Keith Erickson, a three-sport athlete for UCLA in the 1960s and a close friend of John Wooden, will be inducted into the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Hall of Honor.
Erickson played baseball and volleyball for the Bruins, but is most known for his basketball career. In his four years in Westwood, the forward helped Wooden’s 1964 and 1965 teams win national championships and was subsequently drafted in the third round of the 1965 NBA Draft.
Wooden once called him the finest athlete he had ever coached.
The ceremony will take place March 12 before the championship game of the 2016 men’s basketball Pac-12 Tournament. Erickson is one of 12 inductees.
Weekly gymnastics honors
For the second week in a row, Stanford sophomore Elizabeth Price earned Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week honors.
Price and the Cardinal finished in second place at the NorCal Classic to start the 2016 season before upsetting No. 15 Georgia on Monday. The sophomore won the all-around in both meets and scored highest of any Cardinal competitor on the vault, bars and floor this week.
Bruin freshman Katelyn Ohashi also earned honors as the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. Ohashi scored a 9.9 on bars to place third in UCLA’s loss to Florida and added a 9.8 on beam and a 9.825 on floor. The former elite competitor has participated in seven of eight routines so far in her collegiate career, the most on the team.
Compiled by Tanner Walters, Bruin Sports senior staff.