Class of 2024 G Jamari Phillips Lists UCLA Men's Basketball in Top 6
Most eyes are still focused on the class of 2023, but the Bruins are making a serious push to haul in a prospect another year out.
Class of 2024 guard Jamari Phillips announced his top six Thursday, including UCLA men's basketball as one of the finalists. The Bruins are left to compete with Texas Tech, Oregon, Gonzaga, Kansas and Louisville for the eventual commitment of the Modesto Christian (CA) product.
Phillips was also mulling offers from Arizona State, Cal, Illinois, LSU, Ole Miss, Southern Utah, USC, Washington and Washington State, but they appear to be out of the running for the time being.
Coach Mick Cronin and associate head coach Darren Savino watched Phillips play as early as the Section 7 Tournament in Glendale, Arizona, in 2021. That was Phillips' breakout moment as a national prospect, and his earliest offers arrived not long after.
Phillips was back on display at the Nike EYBL Camp in Orlando at the beginning of April, giving Cronin and Savino another look at the guard. UCLA offered Phillips a few weeks later, after he put up several highly-productive performances with PG Elite in Florida.
In an interview with On3, Phillips called UCLA his "dream school," and the local 6-foot-2 guard has previously taken an unofficial visit to Westwood.
Phillips averaged 23.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a sophomore at Modesto Christian this past season. Those numbers, and his ability to lead the Crusaders to a 30-6 record, were enough to make him Modesto Bee District Player of the Year.
Looking at his shooting splits, Phillips put up a .510/.400/.770 line, demonstrating his ability to score in multiple ways.
Phillips is a four-star prospect according to 247Sports, Rivals, ESPN and On3, but a five-star in the 247Sports Composite. In the 247Sports Composite, Phillips ranks as the No. 2 player in California, No. 6 shooting guard in the nation and No. 21 player in the entire class.
Cronin and his staff are up to 15 offers to class of 2024 prospects, 12 of which have gone to four or five-star recruits. Nine backcourt players have earned offers, many of whom could come in handy assuming Tyger Campbell and Amari Bailey may be on their way out next offseason.
Phillips ranks towards the top of that list, and his commitment will be one to watch as the months go on.
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