Cal Signs Pair Of Prep Standouts

BERKELEY – The California men’s basketball program signed Class of 2025 standouts and in-state recruits Semetri “TT” Carr and Jovani Ruff on Wednesday. The two Golden Bears – Carr, a 6-foot-0, 165-pound guard from Mill Valley, and Ruff, a 6-foot-5, 175-pound guard from Long Beach – will join the Cal program ahead of the 2025-26 season.

“We’re thrilled to welcome TT, Jovani and their families into our Cal basketball family,” Cal head coach Mark Madsen said. “Both TT and Jovani are tremendous young men and highly talented basketball players who fit our program’s core values. They play the game with physicality and intelligence and they’re selfless players who are ultimately all about putting the team first.”

Carr, a four-star prospect, will play his senior season at Redwood High School in Larkspur after starring for The Branson School in Ross. The Bay Area product averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists as a junior in Branson’s run to a third-place finish in the North Coast Section Open Division playoffs in 2023-24, and has played at the highest level of the Nike EYBL AAU circuit.

“TT is a general on the floor and a true extension of his coaching staff,” Madsen said. “He’s got a great outside shot, and his passing ability generates open looks for his teammates on the perimeter and at the rim. His explosiveness and speed allow him to cause havoc as a full-court defender and push the pace offensively.”

Ruff, another four-star recruit and one of the top-rated shooting guards in the country is a rising senior at Long Beach Poly High School. He led the Mustangs in scoring as both a sophomore (19.5 points per game) and junior (21.5 PPG) and most recently guided his squad to the 2024 CIF-SS Division 2A title game. Ruff also averaged six rebounds and two assists per game as a sophomore and 5.5 RPG and 3.0 APG as a junior. Ruff has also played at the top of the Nike EYBL AAU circuit.

“Jovani is going to bring a really exciting style of basketball to our program,” Madsen said. “He stretches defenses out to the 3-point line and can drive into the paint and find multiple passing lanes to create opportunities for teammates. Jovani’s a multi-positional player who will pass, dribble and shoot at a high level in addition to bringing a great defensive presence.”