Jamar Brown is leveling up once again.
After spending two years at Phoenix College and two more at the University of Missouri Kansas City, the sharpshooting wing player will take his game to the highest echelon of college basketball next season after committing to UCLA on Friday.
“He felt like coach [Mick] Cronin and the group was the best fit for him,” said Drew Kelso, Brown’s agent at One Motive Sports. “His numbers were great this year, he’s had a really good college career and is looking forward to making the jump and contributing to a really good team.”
The addition of the 6-foot-5 Brown could help offset the departures of Kobe Johnson and Lazar Stefanovic, who have exhausted their eligibility.
Known primarily as a shooter, Brown made 40.2% of his three-pointers last season while averaging a team-leading 17 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals for the Roos, who competed in the Summit League. Brown also made 89.9% of his free throws, which tied for No. 10 nationally in accuracy among Division I players.
A native of Chandler, Ariz., Brown was selected the Summit League’s newcomer of the year in 2023-24 after spending two seasons at Phoenix College. He can play an additional season for UCLA after a recent court challenge granted extra eligibility to players who previously competed at the junior college level.
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Brown will be trying to reverse a trend given that the last two Bruins who came from lower college levels did not make much of an impact — center William Kyle III (a transfer from South Dakota State) averaged 2.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game last season, and guard Dominick Harris (a transfer from Loyola Marymount) barely played. Neither player will return next season after Kyle transferred to Syracuse and Harris reportedly entered the transfer portal.
Brown becomes the second transfer to join the Bruins after highly coveted New Mexico point guard Donovan Dent signed with the team this week. UCLA is believed to remain on the market for two centers and another wing player through the portal.
It’s also possible that the Bruins could slide Eric Dailey Jr., who played power forward last season, to the wing for part of his time on the court next season. Eric Freeny, who redshirted last season, also could play some on the wing next season.
Brown’s contributions will be closely watched by those rooting for players from smaller schools to come up big.
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