LONG BEACH, California — Persistence. That is how Cal was able to beat out programs such as Kansas, Oregon and USC on the recruiting trail Wednesday. The Bears hauled in their biggest high school commitment since 2018 after four-star prospect Jovani Ruff announced his pledge in the gym at Long Beach Poly High School.

Cal has continued to come up whenever Ruff has talked about his recruitment over the last year. The Bears have been a consistent part of the process and so far have been the only team to host him on an official visit.

Ruff has gone through some ups and downs on the floor over the last year, but Cal never wavered in its interest in him. That proved valuable as the No. 55-ranked recruit assessed his options.

When speaking with Golden Bear Report on Tuesday ahead of his decision, Ruff wasted no time when asked which school had been the most present at his games and in his recruitment.

"Cal."

Since being offered by the Bears, there has been no drop off in the communication by Mark Madsen's staff. Assistant coach Matt Scherbenske guided the process, and his bond with Ruff helped keep Cal at the forefront for months.

Eventually, Ruff decided it was time to make his choice, and he completed the process Wednesday.

"It's just the love they have for me," he said. "They really believe in me. I feel like they believe in me more than any other school that ever recruited me did. Even if I was playing bad or good, they know what type of player they're getting."

Ruff said he informed the staff last week while on a standard recruiting Zoom call with Madsen and the staff. The Bears were giving Ruff one last pitch, but he instead let the coaches know that he had decided he wanted to play for them in Berkeley.