Joe Philon, A 6-foot-8 power forward out of Montverde Academy, announced his commitment to UCLA over the weekend at a commitment ceremony in his hometown of Tampa, Florida, in front of his family and teammates.

Philon chose the Bruins over four finalists that included Ohio State, South Florida, UNLV, and Xavier. He also heard from several schools, such as Florida, Florida State, Minnesota, and St. Bonaventure. Philon is rated as the No. 56 overall player in the nation, the No. 10-ranked power forward, and the No. 10-ranked player in the state of Florida, according to 247Sports.

Philon played the last Grassroots season for Skills Center Elite on the Under Armour Rise circuit, where he averaged 13 points, five rebounds, and two assists per game. During his senior season at Montverde Academy, Philon helped lead the Eagles to the EYBL Scholastic regular season championship, where he averaged 11 points, five rebounds, and two steals per game during league play. He also helped lead the Eagles to a bid at the Chipotle Nationals next month, where they will be taking on Prolific Prep in their opening-round game on April 2 in Indianapolis.

Philon becomes the second commit under Mick Cronin for the Bruins’ 2026 recruiting class, where he joins three-star center Javonte Floyd, who announced his commitment back in December.

Philon is a long-armed prospect who can play inside as well as out on the perimeter on the offensive end. He brings good athleticism, runs the floor well in transition, and rebounds exceptionally well for his size. On the defensive end, he is versatile, where he can guard positions 1 through 4, and his long reach allows him to be active when playing above the rim as well as in the passing lanes.

Ross Van De Griek has been a Southeast region scout & writer for On The Radar Hoops since 2024. He has been involved in basketball scouting with previous stops at Prep Hoops from 2022 to 2024. You can follow him on X @RossVDG14 or reach him via email at rossvdg14@gmail.com