5-Star Center Prospect Moses Brown Commits to UCLA over Maryland, More

Coveted center Moses Brown provided a massive boost to the 2018 recruiting class of UCLA on Monday by announcing his commitment to the Bruins. 

The announcement came in a video with Slam Magazine:

Brown is a 5-star recruit who rates as the No. 21 overall player in the 2018 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He's graded as the second-best center among the group and the top player from the state of New York.

The Archbishop Molloy High School standout, who's also played for the New Heights AAU squad, combines a 6'11'', 210-pound frame with high-end athletic ability and terrific awareness around the rim at both ends of the floor to give him immense potential.

Scout's Josh Gershon discussed the signs of development Brown has already shown:

As with most top prospects, the post player is expected to enjoy a short stay at the collegiate level before taking his talents to the NBA.

Brown hasn't shied away from those intentions. In May, he told Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader his "plan is to be a one-and-done" and explained the common message he received from coaches during his recruitment period.

"They're telling me, 'We're going to put you in the gym. You're going to work hard. And we're going to put you on the stage—you gotta perform,'" he said. "I'm just enjoying the process right now."

Clearly, he'll need to add more strength, as well as overall weight, to his frame in order to make an impact in the paint against bigger, more powerful opponents. The key will be doing so over a period of a couple of years rather than trying to bulk up too quickly.

That said, all the other tools are there for him to become a superstar, and it comes down to turning that raw talent into on-court ability during his likely short college career.

Adding Brown is the type of signing that can make the entire class a success for Steve Alford. All signs point toward him having a massive impact from the moment he walks on the UCLA campus, which raises expectations for the 2018-19 season.

He should become an immediate replacement for senior center Thomas Welsh, helping the squad return to contention in the Pac-12 after relative struggles during the current season.

While his arrival provides a boost to the Bruins short-term outlook, he's destined to join Lonzo Ball, T.J. Leaf and others in leaving long before his four years are up.