Cal Hoops' First Commit of '23 Class Rodney Brown Talks About Decision

Not long after committing to Cal in August, 2023 4 star Rancho Christian combo guard Rodney Brown decided to reopen his commitment however Brown has reconsidered and is back in the fold for Cal. We will update his story when he’s available to share some thoughts on the recommitment.

Here’s the original story:

6-6/185 Rancho Christian (Temecula, CA) combo guard Rodney Brown‍ became the first member of Cal basketball’s 2023 class with his commitment to Cal today.

“I felt like as soon as I stepped on campus, it felt like home to me,” said Brown. “The coaches are very genuine. Coach Fox was rated number one in player development and that was big in my choice. I also wanted to go somewhere where I could get a top education.”

Brown’s May visit to Cal helped with his comfort level in making the decision, too.

“We went to Pier 39 in San Francisco,” said Brown. “The bay area has beautiful scenery. I liked campus a lot, too. It was very nice.

“My experience with the players was great, too. I can see myself living life with those guys so it was a great experience.”

As for what he’ll potentially bring to the program:

“I’d say my playmaking ability and my shot are the strengths of my game,” noted Brown. “I’m a combo guard but I think I’ll probably be playing more 2 at Cal. I’m looking forward to just getting better. My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA and I look forward to working towards that goal.”

“Rodney comes from a great family, who are really supportive of his pursuits,” said Rancho Christian head coach Ray Barefield. “What Cal’s getting is a smart kid obviously who’s able to get into a school like Cal, who takes care of business on and off the floor.

“He’s got a great work ethic and is really dedicated to always continuing to get better. He’s very skilled. He’s a combo guard. Some people see him as a 2 but I’ll be playing him at the point all season, playing on and off the ball but primarily on ball, facilitating scoring, playmaking and having to make players better around him.

“His style of play lends to him being pretty versatile. His athleticism is really kicking in with some of the dynamic plays he’s making and his upside is big, with his best days ahead of him. That’s why we’re seeing what we’re seeing with the Pac-12, SEC and now the Big Ten starting to recruit him.

“On defense, he guards 1-3 and with his 6’10 wing span, he’s pretty versatile. He plays long. This year he’ll be asked to do a lot more, from 1-4. Usually, on the perimeter, he usually covers the opponent’s best wing or shooting guard on defense.

“They got a good versatile guy who can do a lot on offense and gets in passing lanes, deflects things, gets a lot of steals. He’s a Top 100 guy now, he’s still kind of a sleeper but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him end up Top 40 or 50 when it’s all said and done.

“He wants go there and produce and get Cal to the upper half of the conference and get back to the tournament.

The 4 star guard averaged 20 points, 3 assists, 6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game as a junior. He also held offers from USC, WSU, Tennessee and UC Santa Barbara, among others.

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