LOS ANGELES — No matter the circumstances, Jalen Hill could break out in a wide grin that made those around him feel everything was going to be all right.
"Just a really good kid, had a great smile," said Josh Giles, his coach at Corona Centennial High before Hill went on to become a starting forward-center at UCLA. "He was a great basketball player, but I just loved him as a person."
Hill made international headlines before his first college game, becoming part of the trio of Bruins involved in a shoplifting spree in China that led to seasonlong suspensions. He made no excuses, accepting blame and becoming a valued member of the team for nearly four seasons before retiring in the spring of 2021 because of anxiety and depression.
