October 25, 2007
Big decision leads Higgins to Big 12
Son of ex-Warriors star left his Danville high school in the name of basketball
CORY HIGGINS understands that not everyone at Monte Vista High in Danville appreciated his holiday gift to the Mustangs' basketball team last year.
Higgins, the son of ex-Warriors player and executive Rod Higgins, made the decision during the Christmas break last year to leave Monte Vista in favor of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where he took classes at the Pendleton School and polished his hoops acumen in a high-level setting.
"I'm sure they had some feelings," said Higgins, who already had started his season with Monte Vista when he defected to Florida. "They probably had the right to feel that way. At the same time, you've got to look at the bigger picture and you've got to look at it from my point of view."
Higgins said he made the decision, after consulting with his dad, in order to maximize his opportunity to play college ball at the highest level. He said before the move he was being recruited primarily by West Coast Conference schools, but eventually he drew the attention of programs from the Big 12 and SEC.
Ultimately, the 6-foot-4 guard chose Colorado over Georgia.
"It was extremely difficult, but at the same time it was extremely important," Higgins said of his move from Danville. "(My dad) asked me how far I wanted to take my game. I didn't want to be an average player. I wanted to take my game to the next level.
"Without that decision, I don't think it would have turned out the way it did."
IMG, which also sponsors academies at its Florida campus for baseball, soccer, tennis, golf, winter sports and even fishing, gave Higgins the chance to hone his game against top-level players. IMG claims the likes of Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince, Vince Carter, Al Harrington and Chris Bosh among its alumni.
"The workouts were more intense, I changed my body and got to play with a lot of better competition," said Higgins, who added 20 pounds to reach his current weight of 185. He averaged 16 points on a team that lost only twice after he arrived.
The experience forced Higgins to grow up in a hurry, but he believes it continues to pay dividends.
"It made this transition to college a lot of easier," he said.
Higgins is in the mix to see playing time at both point guard and shooting guard for the Buffaloes, under first-year coach Jeff Bzdelik, who performed near miracles at Air Force, winning 50 games in two seasons.
"It's a perfect fit," Higgins said of his new home.
Here's a look at other local Division I players at schools outside the Bay Area:
-KENNETH ALEXANDER, Cal State Fullerton: A senior forward from Berkeley High, Alexander averaged 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds last year.
-KEVIN BLAND, UC Irvine: Bland, a 6-8 junior forward from West High in Tracy, likely will start after red-shirting last season. He averaged 23 points and 10 rebounds in 2005-06 at San Joaquin Delta JC.
-JOHNNIE BRYANT, Utah: A 6-foot junior guard from Bishop O'Dowd High in Oakland, Bryant averaged 16.1 points and 3.1 assists last season, reaching double-digit scoring in 20 games.
-JESSE BYRD, UC Santa Barbara: Byrd, a 6-8 junior forward from Bishop O'Dowd, will sit out this season after transferring from USF, where he averaged 2.0 points and 2.7 rebounds a year ago.
-DOMINIC CALEGARI, UC Davis: A 6-9 sophomore forward from St. Mary's High in Berkeley, Calegari averaged 6.1 points last season, including 21 vs. UC Irvine.
-ADAM CARP, Nevada: Carp is a red-shirt freshman walk-on from Clayton Valley High in Concord.
-TRAE CLARK, Cal Poly: A former teammate of Cal's DeVon Hardin at Newark Memorial High, the 5-11 junior started all 30 games at point guard last season, averaging 9.1 points and 3.7 assists.
-ERIC FLATO, Yale: The senior guard from Piedmont High averaged 15.3 points last season, was a unanimous All-Ivy League pick and needs just 127 points to reach 1,000 for his career.
-LINCOLN GUNN, Princeton: A returning starter at guard, the De La Salle grad averaged 6.3 points a year ago.
-LARRY GURGANIOUS, Gonzaga: A back injury sidelined the 6-5 sophomore wing last year, but the St. Mary's High product is back in the mix this season.
-DEMARCUS HALL, Cal State Bakersfield: The 6-7 senior forward from Richmond High averaged 3.9 points a year ago.
-ALEX HARRIS, UC Santa Barbara: Perhaps the most-improved player in the nation last season, the 6-6 guard from St. Joseph's High in Alameda went from scoring 8.3 points as a sophomore to a Big West-leading 21.1. He had 18 games of 20 points or more, including 35 against Cal State Fullerton.
-RICK HIGGINS, Cal Poly: A 6-1 sophomore walk-on and the older brother of Colorado freshman Cory Higgins averaged 2.0 points last season.
-ELI HOLMAN, Indiana: A 6-9 freshman center, Holman averaged 24.7 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocked shots last season at Richmond High.
-CHARLES JIM-GEORGE, UC Riverside: The sophomore guard from San Leandro High scored 4.0 points per game last year.
-DEMARSHAY JOHNSON, Nevada: A standout at both Oakland Tech and Diablo Valley College, Johnson is competing for a starting job. Now 25, the 6-9 forward was academically ineligible the first semester last year and red-shirted after averaging 5.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in 2005-06.
-JUSTIN JOYNER, UC Santa Barbara: A sophomore point guard from De La Salle, Joyner won the starting job at mid-season last year and averaged 4.8 points and 2.9 assists, earning a spot on the Big West all-freshman team.
-MARQUISE KATELY, Morgan State: A former starter at Cal, Kately resumes his career under former Bears coach Todd Bozeman. The 6-5 junior forward, who went to Riordan High in San Francisco, averaged just under 10 points in two seasons at Berkeley.
-LOREN LEATH, Sacramento State: A native of Oakland who played his freshman year at Bishop O'Dowd before moving to Los Angeles, Leath averaged 12.8 points as a sophomore last season.
-BRETT LAUER, UC Irvine: A 6-1 junior guard from Clayton Valley High, Lauer transferred from Mesa JC, where he averaged 18 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists, and had a high game of 36 points.
-SHAWN LEWIS, Cal Poly: Lewis is a 6-4 freshman guard from Bishop O'Dowd, where he averaged 20 points for a team that went 26-7 and reached the state Division III title game.
-MICHAEL LIZARRAGA, Cal State Northridge: A 6-7 forward from the California School for Deaf in Fremont, Lizarraga made the team as a walk-on this fall.
-DAN MAVRAIDES, Princeton: A freshman guard from Serra High in San Mateo, Mavraides played last year at Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, where he averaged 20 points.
-VINNIE McGHEE JR., Sacramento State: The freshman point guard averaged 15.8 points last season for McClymonds High in Oakland.
-WENDELL McKINES, New Mexico State: After being turned away from USF by the admissions office, the explosive 6-5 wing is awaiting word from the NCAA on his eligibility. McKines averaged an eye-popping 35 points and 15 rebounds last year at Richmond High.
-TOMMY McMAHON, Penn: A 6-7 junior wing from Serra High, McMahon averaged 5.0 points a year ago for the Quakers.
-ETHAN NIEDERMEYER, Portland: As a freshman last season, the 6-6 forward from De La Salle got seven starting assignments and averaged 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds.
-KAREEM NITOTO, Hawaii: Nitoto, a freshman guard, averaged 10.1 points last season at San Leandro High.
-CHRIS REID, Purdue: Reid, a former all-league player at Castro Valley High, is a 6-9, 251-pound junior who will compete for playing time at the Big Ten school. He averaged 12.1 points and 5.5 rebounds last season at Butte JC.
-KYLE ROEMER, Colgate: Voted team captain as a junior guard, Roemer missed all last season after undergoing ankle surgery. The former De La Salle High standout averaged 11.4 points for Colgate in 2005-06.
-PAUL ROEMER, UC Santa Barbara: A sophomore walk-on guard and younger brother of Kyle Roemer, Roemer averaged 1.6 points last season.
-MARCUS SCHROEDER, Princeton: The other half of the Tigers' starting backcourt from De La Salle, Schroeder averaged 6.5 points and played 38.8 minutes per game as a freshman.
-RYAN SILVA, UC Davis: The freshman guard averaged 15 points last season at De La Salle, where he was part of teams that were 83-10 in three seasons.
-JERMAINE SMITH: Cal State Northridge: A 6-9 junior forward who averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds last season at Ohlone College in Fremont, Smith suffered a knee injury that likely will sideline him for the year.
-KYLE SPAIN, San Diego State: A junior wing from Newark Memorial, Spain slipped to 6.6 points per game last season after scoring at a 9.2 clip as a freshman.
-THERIN TAYLOR, Cal State Northridge: A 6-5 sophomore wing from Kennedy-Richmond High, Taylor transferred in this season after one season at Merritt College in Oakland.
-CHAZ THOMAS, Cal Poly: A 6-1 junior guard from Serra High in San Mateo, Thomas averaged 8.6 points a year ago after scoring a career-high 31 points in the Big West title game.
-PHILLIP THOMAS, Idaho: Nicknamed "Tree," Thomas is a 6-8, 250-pound freshman forward who averaged 16.4 points last year at San Leandro High.
-QUENTIN THOMAS, North Carolina: A senior from Oakland Tech, Thomas is backup point guard for the Tar Heels. He missed nine games last season with a stress fracture to his foot, but had 47 assists in 27 games.
-BRANDON WALKER, Pepperdine: A
6-3 freshman guard, Walker averaged 19 points and eight rebounds last season at Bishop O'Dowd.
-DECENSAE WHITE, Texas Tech: A sophomore forward from Serra High in San Mateo, White averaged 4.5 points last season including a season-high 12 vs. Colorado in the Big 12 tournament.