University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Men's Basketball Signs Javonte Floyd, Joe Philon
April 15, 2026 | Men's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – The UCLA men's basketball program has received signed grant-in-aid agreements from a pair of talented high school seniors, Javonte Floyd and Joe "Jojo" Philon, as announced on Wednesday by Mick Cronin, The Michael Price Family UCLA Men's Head Basketball Coach.
Floyd, from Atlanta, Ga., and Philon, from Tampa, Fla., will join UCLA's program as freshmen for the 2026-27 season. Both players will enroll in summer session classes at UCLA this June.
"We are excited to welcome Javonte and Jojo to the Bruin family," Cronin said. "Jojo is an elite athlete on the wing who fits exactly the profile we look for at that position. He comes from one of the most competitive high school programs in the country, at Montverde Academy, and that experience has him well-prepared for what we expect at UCLA. Javonte is a young man with a very bright future ahead of him. He is explosive off the floor, a natural rim runner, and a disruptive shot blocker. We believe he has the makings of a genuinely exciting player here at UCLA. We are thrilled to add both of them to our program."
Floyd, a 6-foot-9 center from Georgia, averaged 11.4 points per game in 2025-26 at Cedar Grove High School. He helped lead his high school team to a 21-6 overall record and a perfect 14-0 mark in region play. Cedar Grove won the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) Region 5-3A title. Floyd concluded his high school career with over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. He was one of five top performers to secure first-team all-region honors as a senior at Cedar Grove.
Philon, a 6-foot-8 guard/forward from Florida, averaged 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists during his senior season at Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla. He has been ranked as high as No. 52, nationally, in his high school class by ESPN.com and No. 53 by On3.com. Philon helped Montverde Academy advance to the title game of the 2026 Chipotle High School Nationals, securing wins over Prolific Prep and AZ Compass Prep.
Philon spent his first three high school seasons at Blake High School in Tampa, Fla., leading Blake to a runner-up finish in the FHSAA Class 5A Final Four as a junior in 2024-25. That season, Philon averaged 17.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.0 steals per game.
