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Five-star Class of 2015 power forward opts to stay local and picks California

Boys Open Division  Basketball

Bishop O’ Dowd forward Ivan Rabb, right, drives to the basket against Mater Dei center Michael Cage during the second half of the boys’ Open Division CIF basketball championship game Saturday, March 29, 2014, in Sacramento, Calif. Mater Dei won 71-61.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

AP

Five-star power forward Ivan Rabb opted to end his recruitment as the 6-foot-9 native of California decided to stay out west and committed to Cal on Monday.

Regarded as the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2015 class, according to Rivals, Rabb is a major coup for head coach Cuonzo Martin, who lands a signature recruit by keeping the Oakland native in the Bay Area. Rabb selected the Golden Bears over other finalist Arizona and he also took official visits to Kansas and Kentucky during the recruiting process. UCLA was also a finalist when Rabb initially cut his list to five.

Rabb is a major recruit for Cal because he’s a high-end post athlete and immediate impact rebounder. On the offensive end, Rabb is ambidextrous when it comes to finishing around the hoop and he owns a great set of hands that also help him catch difficult passes. It’s a near certainty that Rabb sees major minutes next season and he likely starts from day one.

A product of Bishop O’Dowd High School, Rabb helped the school reach the California state championship game in back-to-back seasons and the Dragons defeated Mater Dei in overtime for the title this season after losing to them last year. On the grassroots circuit, Rabb played with the Oakland Soldiers in the Nike EYBL and teamed up with five-star big man Stephen Zimmerman to form an imposing front line. Rabb averaged 14.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in 22 games in the EYBL in 2014 as he shot 60 percent from the field.

During a decorated high school career that included two gold medals with USA Basketball in the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship and the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, Rabb was also selected to the 2015 McDonald’s All-American game, Nike Hoop Summit and the Jordan Brand Classic.

Joining Rabb in Cal’s 2015 recruiting class is Indiana native and high-flying wing Davon Dillard, a three-star prospect and Tyson Jolly, another three-star guard.