Jordan Brown commits to Nevada over Arizona, Cal

The 5-star forward is staying close to home

To no one’s surprise, five-star forward Jordan Brown committed to the Nevada Wolf Pack over the Arizona Wildcats and California Golden Bears on Friday.

Brown, from nearby Roseville, California, took several visits to Nevada, while he took just one to Cal and none to Arizona, making the Wolf Pack the obvious frontrunner.

A McDonald’s All-American, Brown is the No. 17 player in the 2018 class and the No. 1 player in the state of California, per 247Sports composite rankings.

He will join a talented Nevada team that can make a case for being the best in the West, depending if the Martin brothers decide to spurn the NBA and return to school.

For Arizona, Brown’s commitment to Nevada means it will have to turn its focus elsewhere for frontcourt depth. Arizona’s primary target appears to be Kansas forward Parker Braun.

While the 6-foot-8 forward is unranked by 247Sports, he has also drawn interest from LSU, Ole Miss, and Virginia Tech, suggesting he is a better prospect than he is given credit for.

Losing out on Brown means Arizona will not be bringing in a McDonald’s All-American for the first time since 2011.

Arizona was in and out of Brown’s recruitment, and seemed to make a late push, surprisingly emerging as one of the three finalists, but it was never able to get him on campus.

So, for now, Arizona will have to settle with a frontcourt of Chase Jeter, Ira Lee, and Pitt graduate transfer Ryan Luther. That is a formidable unit — and Emmanuel Akot can play some power forward — but the Wildcats could use another body in case of injuries, suspensions, or foul trouble.

They have two scholarships available.

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