Five-star center Moses Brown has committed to UCLA.
Brown chose the Bruins over Florida State and Maryland. John Calipari and Kentucky remained involved in his recruitment throughout, but despite going to watch him in recent weeks, never came forward with a scholarship offer.
"I've decided to choose UCLA because [of] their rich basketball tradition," Brown said in a Slam Magazine announcement video. "I can see myself developing and working on my game, and being ready for the next level. The players there are very motivated, like myself. They work hard, just like I do, and being around that, that's a recipe for success."
Brown, a 7-foot-1 center from Archbishop Molloy High School (New York), is ranked No. 18 in the ESPN 100. He slots in as the No. 2 center in the senior class. Playing for the New Heights AAU program on the Under Armour Association circuit last spring and summer, Brown averaged 14.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.
It became clear in the last few days that UCLA was the favorite for Brown, and sources told ESPN that a Bruins assistant coach visited Brown on Monday to close the deal.
Brown is the third ESPN 100 commitment for UCLA in the 2018 class, joining four-star small forward Jules Bernard (No. 46) and four-star shooting guard David Singleton III (No. 67). Three-star center Kenny Nwuba rounds out the four-man class. Steve Alford and his staff are still in pursuit of five-star center Jordan Brown (No. 27), ESPN 100 point guard Tyger Campbell (No. 99) and three-star forward Kevin Zhang.