Bruins nab Nelson

UCLA suffered a recruiting loss when they recently lost Travis Wear and David Wear to North Carolina. But the Bruins quickly rebounded by landing five-star power forward Reeves Nelson of Modesto (Calif.) Christian High School.

Nelson, who was also considering North Carolina, Duke, Georgetown and a host of Pac-10 schools, is staying close to home to play with some familiar faces.

"The reason I committed to UCLA was because their style of play, and the way I feel about the coaching staff there," Nelson told A.W. Prince of the Rivals.com network. " I know all the players coming in, like Jrue Holiday and Malcolm Lee, plus all the others. Coach Howland is a great coach and UCLA has everything I was looking for in a school."

The No. 23 ranked prospect in the class of 2009, Nelson made a splash on the national radar with his inspired and physical play during the spring of the travel circuit. Over the summer, he was not as productive as he struggled through a foot injury.

The 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward gives UCLA its first commitment in the 2009 class after landing a stellar 2008 recruiting class.

Reeves Nelson scouting report:

A physically mature specimen, Nelson is a tough competitor who thrives on attacking the rim. A bit undersized around the basket, Nelson's motor and athletic ability makes him a top notch rebounder and finisher. He does have solid perimeter skills, but is not polished enough at this point to be considered a wing player.