RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC Riverside Men's Basketball has signed center Callum McRae (New Zealand) and nationally ranked forward Zac Watson (Frisco, Texas) to national letters of intent, Head Coach David Patrick announced on Thursday.

"What a great day to be a Highlander! We are excited to announce two big additions to our men's basketball program," Patrick said. "We are thankful to have these two young student-athletes as part of our Highlander family."

McRae is a 7-foot-1 center who comes to Riverside as the No. 1 prospect out of Palmerston North, New Zealand. He has spent time playing at the national level, including a run with the New Zealand U19 National Team at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup which saw him shoot 53.8 percent from the field and average 2.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in just under 10 minutes per game.

"Callum McRae is a dominant presence in the paint, and gives us great size and skill in the post," Patrick said. "He is also a fantastic student who will thrive in our tremendous academic and athletic environment at UCR."

Watson is one of the top forwards in the state of Texas, ranked as the No. 14 prospect by 247Sports Rating. Standing at 6-foot-7, he joins the Highlanders coming off a stellar senior season in which he helped lead Liberty High School to a 26-8 overall, 13-1 league record.

"Zac Watson brings us versatility with size and skill," Patrick said. "He is an excellent student who will thrive on the court and in the classroom at UCR."

The news of these two signings comes a little more than a week after the team announced its first addition under Coach Patrick in Australian guard Dragan Elkaz.