UCLA Men's Basketball Offers Fast-Rising New York Forward Brandon Williams
The Bruins are targeting another fast-rising East Coast recruit.
UCLA men's basketball sent a scholarship offer to class of 2023 forward Brandon Williams on Wednesday, The Circuit's Kevin Daniels reported on Twitter. Williams has surged his way up the rankings over the past few months, starring for Christ the King Regional (NY) and PSA Cardinals on the AAU circuit.
Williams also has offers from St. John's, Oklahoma State, Creighton, Illinois, LSU, Missouri, Seton Hall, USC, Nebraska, TCU, Kansas State, George Mason, Rhode Island and Bryant.
Williams took an unofficial visit to Westwood in 2021, and he told 247Sports that he plans to set up an official in the near future. St. John's is the only official he has taken thus far, and Oklahoma State, George Mason and Rhode Island are viewed as the other contenders for his eventual commitment.
UCLA has been recruiting Williams since last year, and associate head coach Darren Savino – a New Jersey native who held positions at St. John's and Seton Hall before joining Mick Cronin at Murray State and Cincinnati – has strong ties to the Northeast and mid-Atlantic recruiting circles.
In his interview with 247Sports' Eric Bossi, Williams said he plans to narrow his field down to a group of finalists in August.
Williams grew several inches over the past two years, and he currently measures in at 6-foot-7 and just over 200 pounds. He emerged as a top national prospect his junior year, and his current rounds on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring have cemented his place in the spotlight.
Starting at the first evaluation period in Orlando in April, Williams started putting up near-double-doubles with multiple steals and blocks, emerging as an athletic high-flier in the process. Williams plays for PSA Cardinals, the same program that rising redshirt sophomore Mac Etienne played for before committing to UCLA in 2020.
The 247Sports Composite and Rivals have Williams pegged as a three-star recruit, but ESPN and 247Sports' more updated rankings have him as a four-star. Williams is the No. 1 recruit in New York, according to both ESPN and 247Sports' rankings, and he just recently entered the top-100 for 247Sports.
Williams fits most traditionally at power forward at the high school level, but given his athleticism and length, he would likely slide in as a wing-forward should he come to Westwood for college. Jaime Jaquez Jr. will fill that role for the fourth consecutive season this coming year, but he is set to leave without a clear successor next offseason.
Guard Jaylen Clark's defense, athleticism and lack of an outside shot make him a favorite to take over at that position, but he could move to a more traditional wing-guard spot if Williams or another pure wing-forward commits for 2023.
That 2023 class is going to be a decisive one for Cronin, considering the program could have as many as eight scholarship spots open up next offseason. As of June, the Bruins do not have a single commit for that group, but they have 15 offers out to uncommitted recruits and are squarely in the running for a solid handful of them.
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