Meet Devin Koeplin

Most everyone is familiar with the meaning of the phrase two-for-one and word two-fer so let's get inventive and bring three-fer into the vocabulary. The reason? Because of Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) sophomore guard Devin Koeplin being a skilled leader on the court, excelling in the classroom and representing the Lobo basketball program well off campus.

Asked to name his top talent, Koeplin offered, "my best basketball skill is leadership, being a point and running the team. It's something I've been doing since high school or even younger. It kind of comes naturally. I've always tried to lead by example and be a good person and that translates to the court."

He continued, "there is the verbal part and it takes knowing guys and what they can handle. Some can be yelled at and other need to be taken off to the side to talk."

Academically, Koeplin sports a 3.9 grade point average, the only less-than-an-perfect class outcome being a B in Music Appreciation. Referring to that particular class, he offered, "it's harder than you think."    

Koeplin also gave a shout-out to MPC TRiO Learning Center Coordinator Kacey Giammanco for being a great asset to studnets. "She is really a big help."

He is planning on majoring in business -- "I'd like to work in the basketball world and my dream job would be with the Golden State Warriors."

Regarding his biggest basketball biggest influences. Koeplin cited four. "My Dad has always been there for me. We'd go over my games and have really honest conversations. My Mom (the CFO of Bayside Solutions) and I talk about leadership and it's crazy how similar our situations are. Tom Costello who was my coach at Dublin High and my youth CYO coach James Pitts (father of Arizona's Elliott Pitts) who was a huge influence on my basketball career. He made me tough and really stressed defensive fundamentals."

Responding to a best basketball moment query, Koeplin said, "I would say my senior year in high school when we won league for the first time in 40 years and made a playoff run playing in the Nor Cal championship game." Dublin fell 93-90 to College Park High.

He went with MPC post high school  because "I didn't want to stay at home, I really wanted to get a college experience. I called Coach Blake [Spiering] and when I did I could tell he wanted me."

Here's Spiering on his sophomore point: "Devin is a great leader, a team captain and floor leader (Koeplin also captained his high school squad) Dublin). He's a phenomenal guy who has an unbelievable work ethic and tenacity. He plays with a chip on his shoulder but a good chip. I think he's the whole package and part of the reason we have such great chemistry this year."

Spiering continued, "he's one of the best shooters I've ever had and a very good defender. People don't credit him for how fast and well-rounded he is."

With the new season rapidly approaching, Koeplin offered "I really like this team's chemistry -- it's fun to play with them. There's Mitch Wood on the pick-and-pop, Stephen Dorsey on the pick-and-roll, Will Burkett is a knockdown shooter and  Deondre Otis is a great ballhandler who takes some pressure off me."

Now there are those at the next level who instantly judge yes or no utilizing the eye test in measuring prospects. The 5-foot-9 Koeplin may not ace any visual analysis but "don't write me off. I can do anything a 6-foot-2 guard can do." He averaged 8.6 points on 41%, 41% and 78% shooting last season alongside 4.1 assists per game and has a much stronger frontcourt to work with in 2014-15. Koeplin has also started strong this season with impressive showings in both summer Juco Jamborees at Skyline College  and at City College of San Francisco.