LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego men's basketball program has announced that five high school standout scholar-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to join the team as freshmen for the 2021-22 academic year. Cameron Brimhall, Fallou Cisse, Justin DeGraaf, Francis Nwaokorie, and Michael Pearson have committed to join the Tritons to make up the Class of 2025.
"I could not be more excited about this recruiting class. We have signed a talented group that will add size, skill, athleticism and versatility to our roster," said UC San Diego head coach
Eric Olen. "These guys are going to be terrific representatives of UC San Diego Basketball not only on the court but also in the classroom and in our community. I want to recognize our assistant coaches who were instrumental in putting this class together. This is a big day for our program and the future of Triton Basketball."
CAMERON BRIMHALL
6-9 Forward
Alpine, Utah
Lone Peak HS
- All-Valley MVP
- First Team All-State selection
- Three Year varsity starter
- 6A state champion as a freshman
- Averaged 20 PPG and 8 RPG in state tournament run as a junior
FALLOU CISSE
6-7 Forward
Dheis, Senegal
Prolific Prep
- Part of Prolific Prep (Calif.) team in 19-20 that won Grind Session Championship with 31-3 record – Top 10 ranked team nationally
- Prolific Prep qualified for Geico National Championship Tournament (Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic)
- Elected as Senior Class President at Napa Christian School
- Averaged 8.8PPG, 6.5RPG, and 1.5 blocks per game as a junior
- One of the 5 most winningest players in Prolific Prep program history
JUSTIN DeGRAAF
6-7 Forward
Hudsonville, Mich.
Bosco Institute
- Currently attends Bosco Institute, post-grad program in Crown Point, Indiana (Current Tritons Jake Kosakowski and Trace Ramsey played there)
- As Senior at Hudsonville HS, Team went 12-0 in Ottawa-Kent-Red League, he was named all conference
- Also named Academic All-State team as a senior
- 2019 Cornerstone Invitational MVP
- Freshman-junior year he attended Center Grove HS in Greenwood, Ind.
- Earned Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference Scholar-Athlete Award freshman, sophomore, and junior year
- County and Sectional Champions sophomore and junior year, state Final Four junior year
- 2018 IHSAA Student Leadership Conference selection
FRANCIS NWAOKORIE
6-7 Forward
Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Champlin Park HS
- Two-time all-conference Northwest Suburban League
- Averaged double-double as a junior
- Top 10 rebounder in Minnesota
- Made Section 5AAAA Championship game back-to-back years
- Team captain as a junior
MICHAEL PEARSON
5-9 Guard
Tracy, Calif.
Modesto Christian HS
- Tri-City Athletic League MVP by unanimous selection as a senior
- Four-time all league selection
- Three-time all-state selection
- Three-time all-district selection
- Over 1500 career points (Top 5, school history)
- Over 500 career assists (Second, school history)
- Led Modesto Christian to two Open Division appearances and four league titles
In 2019-20, UC San Diego's final season of Division II play, the Tritons posted a 30-1 record on the way to their fourth straight conference tournament title, a No. 4 national ranking, and the top seed in the West Region.
The 2020-21 men's basketball season, the Tritons' first as an NCAA Division I member of the Big West Conference, is scheduled to begin on Jan. 1 when the Tritons visit Big West foe Cal Poly for the first of back-to-back contests.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program begins a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide more than 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. In addition, 83 Tritons have been named Academic All-Americans, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
