UCLA Coach Mick Cronin Reels in Top Forward Devin Williams

Williams starred for Centennial last season and had a strong summer run before making his final decision.

After landing the No. 7 recruiting class in the SI All-American Team Rankings for 2022, Mick Cronin had yet to strike big in 2023.

That all changed Sunday evening when Centennial (Corona, Calif.) forward Devin Williams announced his commitment to the Bruins in an exclusive blog with Sports Illustrated.

“I can’t tell you guys how excited I am,” Williams wrote in his blog. “In the end, I picked UCLA over USC, and it really came down to Coach (Mick) Cronin just reminding me of my high school coach; very hard-nosed and real. I know that he’s gonna push me past my limits and get me to where I need to be.”

Devin Williams is the Bruins' first commit from the 2023 class / Compton Magic

Williams was an intricate piece for Centennial last season which finished No. 7 overall in the SB Live/Sports Illustrated Power 25 after winning the CIF Open Division championship.

As an encore, Williams had a productive summer with the Compton Magic (Calif.), showing off his full arsenal on both ends of the floor in the adidas 3SSB. 

Williams said Cronin’s plan is to maximize his potential by using his versatility to create mismatches in the paint.

“Their plan is for me to come in and bring that versatility of altering and blocking shots, rebound, shoot the open three and finish at the rim,” Williams wrote. “This year, I’m really working on pushing the break off the rebound just to complete my game so I can be 100% ready to step on the court and help my team from day one.”

Read Williams’ full blog here.