Ivan Rabb to Cal: Golden Bears Land 5-Star PF Prospect

Ivan Rabb, a consensus 5-star power forward considered to be the best prep star in the state of California, is headed to the California Golden Bears.

Evan Daniels of Scout.com confirmed the news. 

Rabb announced his decision to sign a letter of intent at the University of California, Berkeley, ending an intense recruitment that featured some of the nation's top programs.

ESPN's Jeff Goodman believes it's a huge pickup for the Cal program and coach Cuonzo Martin:

247Sports

Fellow 5-star prospect Brandon Ingram congratulated Rabb on his decision: 

A rising 6'11" athlete, Rabb selected Cal over UCLA, Kentucky, Kansas and Arizona. He's rarely tipped his hand throughout the process, though most recruiting services began giving nearby Cal an edge as his decision came closer.

247Sports' Crystal Ball predictions gave Rabb a 62 percent chance of landing in Berkeley, with Arizona being the only other school garnering double-digit attention. UCLA appeared a distant fifth in the rankings, while Cal's hard push by head coach Martin made an impression.

Rabb discussed his decision in an interview with Revo News. 

A no-doubt-about-it NBA first-round pick heading into his collegiate experience, Rabb indicated family and pro preparations were playing heavy roles in his decision on where to attend, per Mitch Stephens of Max Preps: "A place that will prepare me best for the NBA. A place that will provide me with a good education. I want to be at a place that my family can watch me play." 

Rabb's professional ceiling is almost unlimited. He's one of the most physically gifted players in the 2015 class, with a combination of length and athleticism that projects him as a two-way force. He can protect the rim merely by using his seven-foot wingspan to stay vertical, and he has the quickness to fly across the lane for highlight-reel blocks as well.

Those traits carry over to the offensive end, where Rabb is a menace crashing into the lane on pick-and-rolls. It'd be a stretch to call him Tyson Chandler-esque, but he has that potential if he develops better ball skills and coaches are able to help him add more subtle nuances. Rabb has already done a nice job of developing a semireliable jumper that helps him space the floor a bit more than you would expect.

Another trait Rabb shares with a young Chandler, unfortunately, is his lack of bulk. Listed at only 210 pounds, Rabb will need to add weight to his frame or risk being bullied down low. It won't be as much of a problem at the collegiate level—we've seen the likes of Nerlens Noel dominate defensively without having an ideal frame—but it will become a concern if he hasn't added 20 or so pounds by the end of his freshman year.

There will be games as a freshman in which his lack of physical refinement creates nondescript performances. 

That being said, this is nothing short of a coup. Rabb is the seventh-best player in 247Sports' composite rankings, has quickly been rising up more skeptical boards as a senior and creates a splash that will send the Golden Bears soaring up national rankings.

Life could be a whole heck of a lot worse in Berkeley right now.

Recruit star ratings and rankings via 247Sports, unless otherwise noted.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.