LOS ANGELES — UCLA freshman Sebastian Mack is always looking for ways to improve, especially after being named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week on Monday.
“I liked it,” Mack said while holding back a smile before Tuesday’s practice. “But I’m never satisfied. It’s still work that needs to be done. So I’m really focused and locked in with the team and working as a group and just getting better as a unit.”
The 6-foot-3 guard from Chicago averaged 19 points and 6.3 rebounds in the Bruins’ three games against No. 3 Marquette, Chaminade and No. 11 Gonzaga in Hawaii. Mack had a career-high 25 points in UCLA’s 71-69 loss to Marquette, which included going a perfect 13 for 13 from the free-throw line.
He followed up that performance with back-to-back 16-point games in a 76-48 win against Chaminade and a 69-65 loss to Gonzaga.
“I really just see myself as a competitor,” said Mack, who appreciates the trust that Mick Cronin and the coaching staff have put in him this early. “Just competing to do whatever it takes to win the game and that causes me to do whatever it takes, Cronin trusts me and lets me play as a freshman so I have to do as much as I can when I’m on that court.”
Mack, who is averaging a team-high 15.8 ppg on 42.4% shooting from the field and 83.3% from the free-throw line in his first six college games, said his main goal is to help this year’s team win as much as possible.
“We’re young but I feel like we can still do a lot of things,” Mack said.
UCLA associate head coach Darren Savino said Mack’s skill set has been exciting for the coaching staff.
“He’s a bull so when he gets going it’s hard to stop … he puts fouls on you. I love that, Mick loves that for guards because that’s how you score,” Savino said. “You have to get fouled because you’re not going to make every shot, you’re not going to drive and score a layup every time so you have…
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