Much of the offseason for the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball was spent waiting for the big move. That big move didn’t come early, as it took until July for Nikola Kusturica to sign with UCLA but don’t sleep on the rest of the UCLA freshman class.
Along with the Serbian star Kusturica, UCLA added Javonte Floyd, Gunars Grinvalds and Joe Philon which led to 247 Sports ranking the Bruins’ freshman class as the No. 20 class in the nation. College basketball insider Jon Rothstein compares Philon, the Monteverde Academy product, to former Bruin Peyton Watson and seeing his fit in Mick Cronin’s program.
“Joe Philon is tailor made for Mick Cronin. Think Peyton Watson’s build with a non-stop motor,” Rothstein said. “Cut from the same cloth as a lot of the guys
Cronin had at Cincinnati when the Bearcats went to nine-straight NCAA Tournaments.”
Watson is clearly a valued archetype on the basketball court, as he just earned a new four-year $88 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers after being traded from the Denver Nuggets earlier this offseason.
It will be a challenge for the 6’8” Philon to earn a consistent role in Cronin’s rotation as a freshman but the four-star recruit offers UCLA a high-upside defender that Cronin can mold.
Rothstein isn’t the only believer in Philon either, 247 Sports’ Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein also seeing the upside for the new UCLA forward.
“Philon can be so impactful defensively that he's one of the few players in high school who can completely change a game without needing the ball in his hands,” Finkelstein said. “As he continues to get stronger and improve his shooting, there's a long runway for him to continue to evolve and allow the rest of his game to catch-up.”
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Which incoming UCLA freshman could be the next Peyton Watson?
