With four seniors leaving the program next season, UCLA men’s water polo got a set of replacements Tuesday.
UCLA signed three prep players – utility Alex Roelse, attacker Kent Inoue and center Corbett Kruse – to letters of intent and they will join the team as freshmen next year, the team announced Tuesday.
The 6-foot-7-inch Roelse has spent three years with the Netherlands men’s national water polo team, of which he is the youngest member. “I knew he was a big kid, but when I was out in Europe watching him play, I was surprised at how fast he could swim,” said coach Adam Wright in the press release. “He is very, very fast in the transition game. … He can create shots for himself and is an all-around player. He has a great outside shot, is a solid defender and can also play at center.”
Inoue, out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, had a standout senior season in 2013 that earned him first-team All-CIF, first-team All-Trinity League and first-team Orange County Register All-County honors. In his senior year, he had 64 goals, 27 assists and 18 steals.
“I’ve known him since he was 7 years old. I’m surprised at his development and transformation, not only as a competitive athlete, but as a person,” Wright said in the release. “He has been on every national team at each age group that he has played. He has trained with the best and brings a lot of size at the attacker position. He is going to bring a strong outside shot that is needed on this team.”
Kruse, from Loyola High School in Los Angeles, earned All-American honors after his senior season. As a junior, he led his team to a Mission League championship and was named to the All-Mission League team after both his junior and senior seasons.
“Corbett comes from a family with strong water polo history as his father, Jim, was a member of the 1976 Olympic team,” Wright said in the release. “With the departure of two seniors at center (Lucas Reynolds and Aimone Barabino), I felt we needed to get a top center and add some size at the center position. Corbett brings that as he is a big, strong kid.”
UCLA had a strong regular season in 2013, but struggled in the postseason, losing to Pacific in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation third-place game. With the departure of the four key seniors, the Bruins hope the new group of freshmen will help the team continue its regular season success.
Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Bruin Sports senior staff.