All Bruins

PF Brandon Williams Down to St. John's, UCLA Men's Basketball

The top-ranked recruit out of New York will commit to either the Bruins or Red Storm later this year.

Benjamin Royer

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The Bruins have made the final two for one of the top East Coast prospects left on the board.

Class of 2023 forward Brandon Williams cut his finalists from five to two teams on Tuesday morning, leaving UCLA men’s basketball and St. John’s as the last programs remaining on his list. UConn, Illinois and Oklahoma State were the schools the 6-foot-7 Christ The King Regional (NY) product trimmed from contention before landing on the Bruins and Red Storm.

Williams previously had offers from Bryant, Creighton, George Mason, Kansas State, LSU, Missouri, Rhode Island, Seton Hall, TCU, USC and West Virginia.

Williams took an official visit to Westwood on Aug. 17 and spent time alongside fellow four-star forward Devin Williams, who was also on an official visit, while in town. St. John’s has hosted the New York native on numerous occasions and stands as the lone close-to-home option for the rising senior.

Associate head coach Darren Savino has been a major recruiter in Midwest and East Coast circles for years, and he has been key in recruiting Williams in coordination with coach Mick Cronin since last year.

Playing his AAU ball on the Nike EYBL circuit, Williams is a member of the PSA Cardinals. Redshirt sophomore forward Mac Etienne starred for the same program during his prep days, building in familiarity for both Williams and the staff despite the long-distance recruiting process.

Williams’ play style has leaned closer to a traditional power forward role in high school, but he does boast a malleable skill set that could help him fit in as a wing forward for the Bruins.

247Sports and On3 have Williams listed as the No. 1 player in New York, while ESPN has the forward ranked No. 2 in the state. Williams rose from No. 85 in his class to No. 74 in the updated 247Sports 2023 Top 150 on Monday, but he is still No. 127 in the 247Sports Composite.

The unanimous four-star prospect told On3 on Tuesday that he does not have a timetable for a commitment announcement at the moment.

The month of September and the upcoming fall period could prove to be pivotal for UCLA on the recruiting trail, as Cronin waits to hear back on the status of Isaiah Collier, Andrej Stojakovic, Devin Williams, Brandon Williams and more top targets. Should any of those recruits commit, they would be the first to join the Bruins' 2023 class.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF TIPTON EDITS & BRANDON WILLIAMS/INSTAGRAM

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Benjamin Royer
BENJAMIN ROYER

Benjamin Royer is a contributing writer at All Bruins, in association with the FanNation and Sports Illustrated networks. Royer is a third-year student at UCLA, where he is a Sports contributor for the school's award-winning student-run newspaper, The Daily Bruin. Royer was previously the Sports Editor at The Valley Star, Los Angeles Valley College's independent newspaper, and he helped develop the Twinger Talk YouTube channel and The Double Play podcast. He is also a professional actor, previously appearing in programs on Showtime, ABC, Disney Channel, FOX and CBS.