Anteaters Sign One, Lose Two in Basketball

Swarn Lacy, a 6-foot-3 guard from Grayson County College in Denison, Texas, has signed a letter of intent to play at UC Irvine, the university announced Tuesday.

The Anteaters also lost two players; forward Brian Johnson and guard Damion Pugh have quit the team.

Lacy averaged 20 points for Grayson last season. He played at Fort Worth Dunbar High School.

Johnson, a 6-7 freshman, was Irvine’s second-leading scorer last season, averaging 12.3 points and 4.9 rebounds. He was expected to be a key part of the program’s rebuilding process.

He had been an inside player at Bellflower St. John Bosco, but improved steadily during the season as a perimeter player. He was named to the Big West Conference all-freshman team.

“We were definitely counting on him for next year,” said Coach Pat Douglass, who was hired in March. “We were hoping he would buy into what we were trying to do in the program. Unfortunately, each kid has his own agenda with what he wants to accomplish in his four-year college career.”

Pugh, a freshman who played at Laguna Beach High, was a seldom-used reserve.