Recruiting Roundup: Ivan Rabb to California; Malik Newman Down to 6, Won’t Take Officials; Simmons Adds Kentucky Offer

As expected, Ivan Rabb committed to California over Arizona on Monday night.

SNY.tv had previously reported that the 6-foot-10 Oakland (CA) Bishop O’Dowd big man would join Cuonzo Martin’s club.

“Next year, I’ll be attending the University of Cal-Berkeley,” he said in the above video. “I definitely like the direction that they’re going in and I think that was the best place for me to go. It was a family setting. I just felt comfortable with them at all times and I could definitely see myself playing with them next year and getting more wins.”

Rabb told reporters he wants to help Cal make an NCAA Tournament run next season.

“My goal, and I told coach this, I want to help get Cal to the tourney and make a deep run,” he said.

Rabb joins Our Savior New American small forward Davon Dillard and Oklahoma City (OK) Putnam City West shooting guard Tyson Jolly in Cal’s 2015 class. They are also involved with uncommitted wing Jaylen Brown, and Rabb told reporters he planned to call Brown after making his commitment.

A McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American, Rabb told USA Basketball last week what he was looking for in a school.

“In a university, first of all I’m looking at academics,” Rabb said. “I know that school will always help me. And with me being an athlete, that’ll give me even more connections after college. And I also want to go to a school that’s going to win. Arizona is already established. They’re winning games, they’re in the tournament every year. Cal, this is their first year not really making the tournament.

“They have some really good players, but they need a few more guys to help turn things around. Either way, I don’t think could make a bad decision. I know people are questioning why I would go to Cal, but you have to see past that and see the potential on the team. I see how much better they got from last year to this year. I just see the energy and they’re hungry.”

 

NEWMAN DOWN TO 6; WON’T TAKE OFFICIALS

The Malik Newman recruitment is winding down.

The 6-foot-4 guard from Callaway (MS) will choose from among six schools — Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Kansas, LSU and N.C. State — and won’t take any official visits, according to The Clarion-Ledger.

“For one, he really doesn’t have time,” Newman’s father Horatio Webster told paper in the exclusive series Beyond The Game. “Now that basketball season is over with, I don’t think he’ll take visits. If he does, fine. If not, that’s fine too.”

Newman, who will be in New York this week for the Jordan Brand Classic, had initially planned to take five official visits.

He took unofficials during the year to Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and LSU.

Newman has been approached about playing professionally overseas next season, but it doesn’t sound like that will happen.

“No, not really,” Newman told the Clarion-Ledger. “We joked about it a few times but I don’t think it’s anything serious that we’re thinking about.”

Newman is projected as the No. 4 pick in 2016 by DraftExpress.com.

 

FREE THROWS

Kobe Simmons, a 6-5 2016 guard from Alpharetta (GA), Tweeted that he picked up a Kentucky offer….2015 John Glenn (MI) three-star center Michael Edwards has committed to Georgia.

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