Joe Philon rose from a table and pulled apart his jacket, revealing a blue-and-white T-shirt bearing four letters near the neckline.
“He’s going West, y’all,” an emcee told the crowd that had gathered to hear where the four-star high school prospect was heading to college. “U-C-L-A!”
The Bruins picked up a second member of their Class of 2026 on Saturday when Philon, a 6-foot-8 forward from Montverde Academy in Tampa, Florida, gave them a verbal commitment.
The No. 53 prospect in his class, according to On3/Rivals, Philon picked UCLA over UNLV, South Florida and Ohio State. He’s known for being extremely athletic, which should help him thrive in a defense coached by Mick Cronin.
This will be UCLA’s first multiplayer high school recruiting class since 2024, when the Bruins brought in Trent Perry and Eric Freeny.
In December, UCLA received a commitment from Javonte Floyd, a 6-8 forward from Cedar Grove High in Atlanta.
The Bruins will also be active in the transfer portal that opens April 7 considering they are also about to lose forward Tyler Bilodeau, center Steven Jamerson II and guards Donovan Dent and Jamar Brown.
Guard Skyy Clark is hoping to gain another season of eligibility by applying for a waiver after having played only 13 games as a freshman at Illinois during the 2022-23 season while dealing with a family medical situation involving his father.
