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"Sweet! Is that Lorenzo Mata?" a high school student taking summer pre-college courses at UCLA yells from behind me. After I confirm his wildest dreams, he manages to build up enough courage to ask Mata for his autograph. Without even blinking, he obliges and signs the kid's notebook, thanks the young fan for supporting UCLA basketball, and sends him on his way, no doubt making his week.

Mata, when literally translated from Spanish, means "kill." After this heartwarming episode, however, it's hard to see him ever living up to his last name. Though physically imposing at 6'8", 235 lbs., Mata is a soft-spoken guy of few words. But on the basketball court he's an executioner, suffocating opponents with his fundamentally deadly low-post play. He received little playing time while adapting to the college game his freshman year, but impressed coaches with his tough defense and hustle. As a sophomore he was a critical role player and as a junior he started all but a handful of games, helping to get the Bruins to Final Four appearances both years. Now Mata is a senior and a leader on a team that has been ranked in the top five all year and is expected to return to the Final Four yet again.

While he was always tall for his age, Mata picked the game up late and didn't play competitively until high school. The Los Angeles native impressed coaches right away. The more he developed, the more his coaches and teachers at South Gate High School began preparing him athletically and academically for the next level. Soon the prospect of earning a college scholarship was no longer a dream, but a reality. But little did Mata know that one of the best universities with one of the most storied basketball programs in the country would come knocking on his door.

When Mata was a senior in high school, Ben Howland had just been hired as head coach of UCLA to restore the ailing Bruin basketball program to its traditional place among the elite. West coast basketball is known for its exciting, fast-paced, high scoring style, a style the Bruins helped to define in the 1960s and ‘70s on their way to 10 national titles in 12 years. But coach Howland was from the old school, where toughness, fundamentals, and defense were the keys and was intent on rebuilding the program in a very un-West coast way. So when he heard about this 6'8" center with a tough, gritty style of play, he didn't waste any time. The coach knew Mata had exactly the type of game and attitude he wanted on the Westwood campus and offered him a full scholarship. "When Coach Howland got the job, he called me and told me he liked how I played and said he wanted me to come play for him," says Mata. "I jumped on the offer and committed right away."

Earning a basketball scholarship to a top program like UCLA is something to commend because few Latinos have done so, even in Los Angeles. Despite its huge Mexican and Latino population, Southern California has yet to produce a breakout, Latino basketball star. UCLA in particular, despite its historic place in college basketball lore, hasn't done the best job historically of cultivating local Latino talent.

The NBA, too, hasn't seen much U.S. born Latino talent like Mata on its rosters. Though the gradual surge of Latin American players making their mark in the sport is one of the biggest stories of the early 21^st century, most of them are foreigners. Players like Mexican-born Eduardo Najera (Denver Nuggets), Argentina native Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs), and Brazilian Leandro Barbosa (Phoenix Suns) have had a huge impact on the league.

Mata's success should now open doors for more Latinos like him in both the college and pro games. He's quite aware of the wide support he's received from Los Angeles' Latino community, where he is nothing short of a cult hero. He knows that finishing his senior year at UCLA with a national title, and perhaps making it to the NBA, will bring positive attention to his community. "I'm just trying not to let the people down," he says. "Hopefully, I'll get there and make them proud."

One person already proud of Mata is his mother. Though only 20 miles from his home in Huntington Park, UCLA and the West side of L.A. are worlds away which makes the distance that much farther. He officially changed his last name for his senior year, adding his mother's maiden name "Real" to his last name to honor all that she has done for him. And though he credits her with instilling in him the tireless work ethic and dogged determination that has taken him this far, what he misses most is her home cooking. "There are no good Mexican restaurants in Westwood," he says with a laugh.

Photos courtesy of the UCLA Athletic Department