The University of California, Berkley is not known to be the basketball power of the state. That distinction belongs to UCLA. But for 2015, Coach Cuonzo Martin delivered in grand fashion.
The California Golden Bears, or Cal, has taken Jaylen Brown, the no.4 ranked player in the ESPN 100 (once was ranked no.2) and it was a remarkable feat considering they grabbed him from storied programs like UCLA, Kentucky, Kansas and North Carolina.
Brown has surprised the college basketball world with his choice and he explained his reasons to San Jose Mercury News:
"I have very high expectations. I think we can win it all," Brown said. "We have a lot of work to do, but we have very good pieces."
"It wasn't as typical as how a highly recruited athlete usually goes to a much bigger basketball university. I had to make the decision for me, and I felt like this was clearly my best choice."
One factor that might have swayed Jaylen is that fellow 5-star recruit and ESPN 8th ranked player Ivan Rabb's decision to join Cal.
Rabb is a strong power forward who coach Cuonzo Martin describes as his "mission." Rabb was an Oakland native and despite offers from Kentucky, Kansas and Conference rival, Arizona. Martin convinced his parents that Cal would offer the best of both worlds-his son could stay a year in-state and still be part of a competitive program.
The young forward helped out, recruiting Brown, who was a higher ranked recruit. Usually, it's the other way around, but Cal still has the pieces to contend with the returning upperclassmen and that spelled the decision for Brown-the highest ranked Cal recruit since Jason Kidd.