Class of 2023 Forward Brandon Williams Commits to UCLA Men's Basketball
The Bruins have added some more talent to their upcoming recruiting class.
Class of 2023 forward Brandon Williams verbally committed to UCLA men's basketball at his high school on Monday, picking the Bruins over his hometown team, St. John's. The Christ the King Regional (NY) product took an official visit to Westwood back on Aug. 17, and it apparently left a positive enough impression for him to pledge himself to the Bruins a month later.
UConn, Illinois and Oklahoma State were all part of Williams' top five before he narrowed it down to UCLA and St. John's in August. He previously had offers from Bryant, Creighton, George Mason, Kansas State, LSU, Missouri, Rhode Island, Seton Hall, TCU, USC and West Virginia.
Williams isn't only the second prospect to commit to the Bruins' 2023 recruiting class, he's also the second Williams. 6-foot-10 power forward Devin Williams committed to UCLA on Aug. 28, giving Cronin his first commit of the cycle.
With Brandon Williams following fellow four-star Devin Williams, the Bruins will up from having the No. 40 recruiting class in the country to boasting the No. 15 recruiting class in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite. UCLA's 2023 recruiting class will now rank No. 2 in the Pac-12
Brandon Williams is a four-star prospect, according to 247Sports, ESPN, Rivals and On3. In the 247Sports Composite, Williams is the No. 1 recruit in New York, No. 17 power forward in the country and No. 88 overall prospect in his class.
Coming in at 6-foot-7 and 205 pounds, Williams is the second commitment Cronin and his staff have earned out of New York in the past three cycles. Big man Mac Etienne was the first, and he reportedly hosted Williams on his visit to Westwood in August. The two New Yorkers both played for the same AAU program, PSA Cardinals.
Williams is still just 16 years old, but he is viewed as a high-upside, athletic prospect. St. John's was long assumed to be the leader in his recruitment before the past few weeks, given the proximity to home, but it appears as if the rising forward and his family were more than willing to start his college journey 2,800 miles from his hometown.
UCLA will now turn its focus to five-star guard Isaiah Collier, five-star power forward Ron Holland, five-star small forward Andrej Stojakovic, five-star small forward Cody Williams, four-star guard Elmarko Jackson, four-star center Isaiah Miranda and four-star center Michael Nwoko. Cronin is likely looking to add another three or four more commitments from that group, depending on how heavily he aims to rely on international recruiting and the transfer portal.
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