New Penn men’s basketball head coach Fran McCaffery made a recruiting splash the same way his offenses operate: quickly.
The first high school commit of the McCaffery era for the Quakers is Ethan Lin, a three-star junior hailing from Montgomery, N.J. Lin, a 6-foot-5 point guard, is the seventh-ranked player in the state of New Jersey in the class of 2026 and the third-highest rated high school recruit in Penn men’s basketball recent history per 247 Sports.
“Honestly, it feels really good,” Lin said about being ranked the third highest recruit in Penn history. “Obviously, being ranked high in high school feels good. But I feel at the end of the day, it kind of just doesn't really matter. What matters is just how you produce on the college floor.”
Penn senior guard Dylan Williams added, “I think it’s a big-time land for the program, great kid that wants to win. [Lin has] very supportive parents and is a great person to be around.”
Lin’s commitment is one of several major headlines McCaffery has made since taking over the program in March. In April, the Quakers secured a transfer portal pledge from Virginia forward TJ Power, a former five-star high school recruit who began his collegiate career at Duke.
Lin was introduced to another newcomer — Kirkwood Community College transfer forward Lucas Lueth — along with Power, Williams, and other Penn players during his campus visit two weeks ago. He was shown around campus by Penn men's basketball assistant coach Ben Luber, and the tour evidently did the trick. The night he returned from his visit, he immediately called McCaffery and said that his decision had been made.
Growing up, current San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul was Lin’s favorite player, in-part due to his craftiness. Lin modeled his game after the 11-time NBA All-Star, as well as Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving. He hears the most comparisons, though, to a face Penn fans know all too well — former Princeton guard Xaivian Lee. Lee, who transferred to Florida for his senior season, congratulated Lin on his Ivy commitment via Instagram.
“I think [in] coach McCaffrey's system, he likes to play fast and he likes to trust his players, I feel that's just a perfect system for me,” Lin said. “I think a coach trusting their player, it means a lot for the player and it lets them play to their full potential. I think that’s what coach McCaffery can help me do.”
Notably, Lin chose Penn over a number of other Ivy League programs including Princeton, Yale, and Cornell. His other offers included Rice, William & Mary, and Boston University.
After drawing interest from some of the nation’s top academic schools, Lin said Penn’s Philadelphia location and participation in the Big 5 were key factors in his decision.
“I think all these [Ivy] programs are super, super high notch programs and even better institutes," Lin said. "I just think that when I went to UPenn, I really enjoyed Philly and I really enjoyed the Big 5. I know that's a really big thing for Penn basketball, and I'm really looking forward to playing in that.”
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“It just felt like a good place to be, and Philadelphia basketball is really, really, really crazy,” Lin added. “They take it seriously out there.”
