New UCLA coach Steve Alford has taken advantage of his Indiana ties and landed his first commitment of the Class of 2014 with top-50 wing Trevon Bluiett.

"I loved the campus, and Coach Alford and his staff made me feel welcome and comfortable as soon as I stepped on campus," Bluiett told ESPN.com.

The 6-foot-6 standout from Park Tudor High in Indianapolis took an official visit to UCLA this past weekend. He had already visited Xavier and Butler and was scheduled to visit Purdue this weekend. Arizona, Indiana and Michigan were also among his finalists.

Bluiett is ranked 41st in the country by ESPN.com and is a big, strong scoring wing who can make shots from beyond the arc and also get to the basket and finish.

Alford hired Bluiett's former high school coach, Ed Schilling, as an assistant.

Alford inherits a talented UCLA squad from Ben Howland, who was fired after 10 seasons despite winning 25 games last season. However, the Bruins will lose seniors David and Travis Wear -- and could also lose Jordan Adams and Kyle Anderson early to the NBA.

"They are set up for success," Bluiett said. "The strength coach is on a different level than other coaches and he played my position."

This is a significant pickup for Alford -- who also hosted Louisville de-commit Quentin Snider (ESPN, No. 28) this past weekend.

Information from RecruitingNation's Dave Telep was used in this report.