California head coach Mike Montgomery landed his top target on Wednesday as Jabari Bird verbally committed to the Golden Bears.
Bird, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, is not only considered amongst the top prospects at his position, but he is also one of the top recruits nationally. ESPN and Rivals each list Bird at No. 20 in their respective class of 2013 rankings.
He is the son of former Golden Bear Carl Bird, a connection that played a huge role in Montgomery’s ability to land the top-notch prospect.
Prior to announcing his decision, Bird cancelled all other trips and visits that were originally planned for this fall. Pac 12 rivals Oregon, Colorado and Washington had all been in the mix for Bird’s service prior to Wednesday’s announcement.
While Montgomery hopes Bird’s decision will help lure other top prospects to the Berkeley campus for the 2013-14 season, the addition is undoubtedly the coach’s best since taking over the program prior to the 2008-09 season.
In Montgomery’s four seasons, the Golden Bears have had some recent success, qualifying for the Big Dance in three of those four years. Cal fans can now hope more is to come with the addition of Bird.
The guard comes to Cal by way of Salesian H.S. (Calif.) and spent last weekend visiting the campus. The indication of Bird’s announcement and decision to cancel his other scheduled trips shows that last weekend was the icing on the cake.
In addition to Bird, California also had fellow 2013 targets Marcus Lee and Aaron Gordon on campus last weekend.
Bird ran with the Oakland Soldiers during his time on the AAU circuit and is the first commitment for the Golden Bears’ class of 2013.
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