Matt Mareno finds a new home

Via SoCalHoops and from Bob Gottlieb/Branch West:

Matthew Mareno
6’6” 
Step out 4 man 
Redwood H.S. (CA) 
Cushing Academy (MA)

Assumption College (MA)
D2 – Full basketball Scholarship

Post University (CT)
NCAA D2
Full basketball scholarship

Matthew’s dad retained BG and the Branch West Recruiting Assistance Service for the third time this past spring. Initially, it was out of high school. Matthew ended up going to prep school in New England, which did not come through BW so his Dad was not obligated to pay the additional fee due upon recruitment.

However, his Dad was impressed with our work and decided to retain BW a second time, coming out of prep school and we were able to get him a full scholarship to Assumption, one of the better NCAA D2 programs in the Northeast, and on a full basketball scholarship.

However, things never really worked out for Matthew at Assumption. They red shirted him initially and as the season progressed, it became obvious that things were not going to work out for Matthew at Assumption. Consequently he decided to finish the year and transfer, and his dad retained BW a third time.

There was nothing easy about getting him recruited again, as we had to overcome the stigma of things not having worked out at Assumption. A number of NCAA D2 and NAIA D1 schools showed significant interest, especially in the Southeast.

However Mathew wanted to go to school either New England or back home in California. He ended up signing at Post University, an NCAA D2 school in Waterbury, CT, coached by long time BG friend Al Sokaitis. Although Al Sokaitis is a Connecticut native, he coached the Univ. of Alaska at Fairbanks for 8 years and was highly successful.

I met him while attending his team camps as we were putting together Branch West Team Alaska to compete in the July AAU tournamnets in both California and Las Vegas.

Mathew signed a full basketball scholarship at Post, and will have 4 years eligibility and a clean slate. By the way, he had 3.8 gpa at Assumption, so the year there was not a total waste.

Mathew played for Lakeshow and was coached by the well regarded Joe Fuca. Lakeshow is one of the top AAU programs in the Bay Area for many years. At no time did he ever play for Branch West.