UCI adds JC transfer

UC Irvine men’s basketball coach Pat Douglass has awarded his final scholarship to Chukwuma “Chuma” Awaji, a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas.

Awaji, rated No. 65 in the JucoJunction.com list of the Top 100 community college players in 2006, is returning to his home state, where he played at Dorsey High in Los Angeles.

He has been a two-year starter at Lon Morris for Coach Dale Dotson. Awaji averaged 13.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals. He made 43 of 125 three-point attempts (34.4%) to help the Bearcats finish 22-8.

He had a single-game high of 27 points against Tyler and received honorable mention in All-Region 14 voting.

Awaji is the fifth player in the recruiting class signed by Douglass and his staff for next season.

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