California coach Mike Montgomery secured a commitment from perhaps the most heralded prospect of his tenure with the program, as in-state guard Jabari Bird pledged his name to the Golden Bears Wednesday.
Bird, a 6-6, 190-pound native of Richmond, Calif., chose Cal over Oregon, Colorado, and Washington.
During his junior season in 2011-12, Bird led Salesian HS (Calif.) to a Division IV state title on his way to averaging 18.7 points and 4.8 points per game.
On the AAU circuit, Bird played for the powerhouse Oakland Soldiers, a team that defeated Andrew Wiggins’ CIA Bounce squad to win the 2012 Nike Peach Jam title.
Many reports have said that Bird’s decision to play at Cal is not surprising, especially considering that his father, Carl, played college ball for the Golden Bears.
Bird becomes Montgomery’s first commit for the Class of 2013, following a 2012 class that was comprised of four players, including California shooting guard Tyrone Wallace.
Under Montgomery, Cal finished 24-10 this past season, including 13-5 in the Pac-12. Its season came to an end in the NCAA tournament with a 65-54 loss to South Florida.
The Golden Bears face a much more talented Pac-12 Conference this upcoming season, as teams like UCLA and Arizona have reloaded with impressive recruiting classes in 2012.
To see some of Bird’s highlights, click here.
Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_