The Boston Celtics added a Georgia product on Thursday, drafting California forward Jaylen Brown with the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft.
Brown arrived at California from Wheeler High School in Marietta and made the most of his lone season with the Golden Bears, averaging 14.6 points per game and 5.4 rebounds in 34 games. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Brown was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year as well as a member of the First Team All-Pac-12 squad.
Brown’s time in Berkeley, California, followed a successful high school career. He was a consensus first-team All-American at Wheeler and considered to be a top-five national high school prospect. He was named the 2015 Gatorade Georgia Boys’ Player of the Year, USA Today’s All-USA, Georgia Player of the Year and Georgia’s Mr. Basketball in his senior season, which culminated in a state title for Wheeler.
“You’ve got a guy who’s 6-7, 225 pounds that’s good with the ball end to end,” Cal head coach Cuonzo Martin said. “He has a lot of tools and a lot of athletic skill. He’s a guy that can pretty much do anything on the floor. Now it’s just about continuing to get better.”
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