New UCLA Transfer Continues to Stand Out

As a result, the Bruins have worked hard to upgrade the talent on the roster. In fact, UCLA was one of the most aggressive teams in the transfer portal, landing key transfers Donovan Dent and Xavier Booker. Notably, college basketball analyst Evan Miyakawa has UCLA’s 2025 transfer class ranked as the fifth-best.

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Dent and Booker have drawn the most media attention, but Jamar Brown is a potential sleeper in UCLA’s recent transfer class.

After playing his last two seasons of college basketball at UMKC, he was ranked just 345th overall for transfer players according to 247Sports. However, there’s a significant chance that he ends up outperforming his ranking. Indeed, “highly placed spies in Westwood continue to rave about” the super senior, per CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein. 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Brown is shooting the 3-ball at a high level. In 2024-25, Brown showed a special touch, shooting 40.2% from 3 (and an impressive 89.9% from the free-throw line). So, though he wasn’t as efficient from inside the arc, his 3-point stroke must be respected.

The 6-foot-5 and 200-pound shooting guard was also impressive on the boards, grabbing 7.4 rebounds per game. Brown will certainly play a more difficult level of competition in the Big Ten. Nonetheless, it’s encouraging to see that level of physicality.

The Last Word On Jamar Brown

Brown isn’t currently projected to be a starter for the Bruins. However, he doesn’t have to be in the first unit to make his presence frelt. With that in perspective, UCLA has been looking for more impactful depth to get deeper in the NCAA tournament and he fits that perfectly.

In addition, one of the Bruins key problems last season was their ability to hit 3s. For example, in their loss to the Tennessee Volunteers, UCLA went just 3-23 from behind the arc. Cronin has typically had very well-disciplined teams on the defensive end. Yet, to get back to the Final Four, UCLA must have more offensive firepower on the perimeter.

All in all, Brown should solve some of the issues that plagued UCLA in 2024-25.