A former UCLA Bruin set a new career-high on Tuesday night.
In the losing effort to the Houston Rockets 137-114, Jules Bernard logged 19 minutes, scored 16 points, recorded four assists, and brought in two rebounds. Seeing an increased workload for the Washington Wizards as they continue to decay this season, with the NBA’s worst record, Bernard is the beneficiary.
Going undrafted in 2022, Bernard played on both the Pistons and Wizards G-League teams before signing a two-way contract with Washington. At UCLA, Bernard put up impressive numbers and logged a total of 130 games for the Bruins in four seasons with the team from 2018-2022.
๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ scored 15 of his career-best 1๏ธโฃ6๏ธโฃ points in the fourth quarter on Tuesday, in 19 minutes for the @WashWizards.
๐ธ courtesy of @usatodaysports
๐: https://t.co/mfnIJiezkS pic.twitter.com/8YdHKxCq4c— UCLA Menโs Basketball (@UCLAMBB) March 20, 2024
Though Bernard would likely prefer to play for a contender, for an undrafted player, getting minutes on a poor team can help him improve his game and show out for other franchises.
Jules Bernard is behind the three-point line when Poole releases the shot.
Great effort to grab the board and put it back up. Not much is going well for Washington but Bernard is making a case to stick around. pic.twitter.com/XAlCltFrmM
— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) March 17, 2024
With a track record of playing tons of games in college, Bernard’s durability and stick-to-itiveness could help him have a long career in the NBA.