SI All-American Candidates: 3 UCLA Commits and 2 Bruins Targets Named

SI99 revealed on Dec. 2; position rankings begin on Dec. 4

Peyton Watson, a small forward from Long Beach Polytechnic High School, headlines three UCLA commits and two Bruins recruiting targets from the high school class of 2021 to be named Sports Illustrated All-American candidates.

Watson committed to UCLA in July, choosing coach Mick Cronin's program over a final list of schools that included Oregon, Michigan and Gonzaga. The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 23.5 points, 10 rebounds and four assists per game during his junior season, staking his claim as arguably the best prep player in California.

Listed below is the full breakdown of Bruins commits and recruiting targets to rank among SI's top-99 seniors in the country.

COMMITS

C Mac Etienne/6-10,220/Wolfeboro, N.H.

SG Will McClendon/6-2, 205/Las Vegas, Nev.

SF Peyton Watson/6-6, 180/Long Beach, Calif.

TOP TARGETS

SG Jaden Hardy/6-4, 185/Henderson, Nev.

SG Hunter Sallis/6-5, 175/Omaha, Neb.

Hundreds and hundreds of student-athletes were evaluated for the SI99—Sports Illustrated’s ranking of the top-99 senior high school basketball players in the country—before the list of All-American candidates was finalized. Video highlights, scouting analyses and a breakdown of each player’s college verbal commitment and/or top college contenders can be found on their bio pages at SIAllAmerican.com.

The SI99 was unveiled on Dec. 2, accompanied by lists of prospects ordered by state and college choice/contenders. Position rankings, in-depth videos on top-rated players and more will be released throughout the remainder of December. Sports Illustrated’s final All-American teams for the 2020-21 prep hoops season will be announced in coming months.