BERKELEY – California head men’s basketball coach Cuonzo Martin announced the signing of consensus scholastic First Team All-American Jaylen Brown on Monday. The 6-7, 220-pound small forward from Marietta, Ga. is the third signee of the Golden Bears’ 2015 class, joining fellow high school All-American Ivan Rabb from Oakland, Calif. and Rivals 150 shooting guard Tyson Jolly from Oklahoma City, Okla.
“Jaylen is one of the nation’s elite players and we are thrilled he is a Golden Bear,” Martin said. “He is a strong, athletic player with a tremendous work ethic. Jaylen has the skill and ability to play four different positions on the floor.”
A consensus top five national high school prospect, Brown is rated Scout’s No. 1 prospect nationally. He is ranked No. 3 overall by Rivals and No. 4 in ESPN’s rankings for the class of 2015. Along with fellow signee Ivan Rabb, Brown was selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American game, the Jordan Brand Classic and the Nike Hoop Summit. A starter for Team USA in the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Ore, Brown recorded eight points in 16 minutes. Brown started for the East team in the McDonald’s All-American game in Chicago, Ill., collecting nine points, six rebounds, two blocks, two assists and two steals in 21 minutes of action.
Brown was named the 2015 Gatorade Georgia Boys Player of the Year, USA Today’s All-USA Georgia Player of the Year, Georgia’s Mr. Basketball and the Class 6A Player of the Year by the Georgia Sports Writers Association, the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Class 6A North Player of the Year, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Class 6A Player of the Year, and the Marietta Daily Journal Class 6A Player of the Year. He was a consensus First Team 6A All-State selection, and a two-time All-Cobb County Player of the Year as a junior and a senior. Brown was also a consensus All-Cobb County First Team pick each of the past two years.
The elite small forward averaged 28 points and 12 rebounds as a senior to lead Wheeler High School to a 30-3 overall record, a No. 6 national ranking in the final USA Today Super 25 poll, and the school’s first Georgia 6A state title since 2009. Like Rabb, Brown sealed his high school’s state title at the free throw line. He made two free throws with 0.6 second remaining to give Wheeler a 59-58 victory over Pebblebrook High School in the championship game. Brown recorded 22 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block and was a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line in the state championship game. The Wildcats, who were a perfect 16-0 in their region, advanced to the quarterfinals of the National High school Tournament.
Brown was named the Most Valuable Player of the City of Palms Classic during his senior year, posting 25 points and 12 rebounds that include an 11-of-13 performance from the free throw line as Wheeler knocked off top-ranked Montverde Academy, 72-65, to become the first public school to win the tournament since 2004.
A four-year varsity standout at Wheeler, he guided the Wildcats to a combined 95-28 overall record, a 49-6 Region 5 Record and three Region 5 titles (2012, 14 and 15) during his scholastic career. Wheeler completed the 2015 season ranked No. 1 in the state of Georgia following this season’s state title. Brown averaged 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals as a junior to lead Wheeler to a 29-5 overall record, a Region 5 team title and Georgia’s Class 6A state championship game in 2014.
He was a member of the 2014 USA U18 National Team that captured a Gold Medal at the FIBE Americas U18, averaging 7.3 points during Team USA’s run to the title.
Cal will begin its second season under Martin in a newly-renovated Walter A. Haas Jr. Pavilion, where construction is underway to enhance the fan experience. The major project includes a brand new center-hung video board, upgraded sound and lighting systems, and modernized video production facilities. The project is made possible thanks to a generous $10 million gift from the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.
