Jaylen Clark

Four-star wing Jaylen Clark verbally committed to UCLA on Wednesday, he tells 247Sports.

“I’m going to UCLA and Mick Cronin really sold me,” Clark said. “He’s really energetic and I’m seeing him turn the team around already. The win against Colorado and then he follows it up with a 20-point win against Utah.”

“I’ve always liked UCLA,” he added. “I always hoped that I ended up at UCLA or USC. I always wanted to stay home. I feel like California is a hard state to beat out living-wise and how diverse everything has gotten here.”

The Bruins began to prioritize Clark in the fall and he took an official visit to UCLA on Sunday and Monday. Other schools that showed interest in the 6-foot-5 wing prospect were Arizona, Oregon, Texas and Virginia Tech.

Proximity certainly was a factor too.

“He’s a straight-up dude and he’s a straight shooter,” Clark said about Cronin. “He tells you what he feels and he sticks with it. He was calling me and texting me. I’m hearing from other schools and talking to assistants, but I have the head coach talking to me here. That’s hard to pass up on, and it’s in my home state.”

“It’s huge because now I don’t have to get over the home sickness stage or missing family,” Clark said. “I’m really 50 minutes away from the school. I’ll still be away from home, but I’m one freeway ride away. It’s cool, and I get to be the hometown hero.”

Clark had a strong spring and summer playing for the Compton Magic and has followed it up with an impressive senior season at Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) Etiwanda. Clark is known for his ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor.

“Clark has long been one of the defenders on the west in 2020,” 247Sports analyst Josh Gershon said. “He has a strong, chiseled frame with long arms, wide shoulders and is a plus athlete laterally and vertically. He consistently plays hard which adds to his value, especially on defense. He is best in transition offensively, although he has continued to evolve his ball skills and shooting throughout his high school career.”

Clark ranks No. 104 on the 247Sports Composite Rankings, but is regarded as the No. 72 overall prospect and the No. 12 shooting guard in the Top247. Clark’s tough, physical style of play fits with the type of players that Cronin has excelled with.

“Some kids have to adjust when they get to college,” Clark said. “Have to learn faster or adjust to the system, but I just need to go do what I naturally do, and I think that’s awesome and it’s the best fit for me."

“I feel the Jaylen Clark is the best two-way player in the 2020 class,” Compton Magic coach Etop Udo-Ema said. “He proved it on how he carried the Compton Magic in the summer without Evan [Mobley] and [Johnny] Juzang. He’s the most underrated player in the national class of 2020.”

With the addition of Clark, UCLA’s recruiting class moves up to No. 37 in the 247Sports Team Rankings. Clark joins five-star point guard Daishen Nix to make up UCLA’s dynamic two-man class.