McNiff goes with UAV

There's a certain allure to being the first in any category and Joe McNiff finds himself in just such a circumstance as a member of University of Antelope Valley (UAV) Coach Brad Rogers' inaugural basketball recruiting class.

Located in the high desert area of Lancaster, UAV is a relatively new school with a nascent basketball program and Rogers is charged with laying the foundation for competitiveness in the California Pacific Conference, which includes institutions in both southern and northern California -- the latter being Cal Maritime, Pacific Union, UC Merced and Simpson University.

The genesis of the Antelope Valley - McNiff pairing is rather different. Rogers is a former Sierra College assistant so, once hired, he began the process of locating prospects which included contacting the coaching staff in Rocklin for talent recommendations. Out of that came McNiff's name. Rogers made contact with the Diablo Valley College coaches, attended a Viking game and zeroed in on McNiff.

The two began talking and hit it off. Among the elements McNiff found attractive was being a member of the initial team. Being in that situation, "I'll have first crack at setting the bar and making history. It's the opportunity to set a couple of records." Another attractive feature is "it's a smaller school, like De La Salle (McNiff's high school)." There are a little less than 1,200 students currently attending UAV.

Rogers' playing background is as a three-point shooter while attending NAIA member San Diego Christian College which won the 2003-04 NCCAA DI National Championship. He finished with 214 three-pointers made in his two seasons and that dovetails with McNiff's standout skill of long-distance shooting.

Besides being a threat from beyond the arc, McNiff also offered this about his strengths: "I bring energy and I'm a great teammate. I feel like I'm a disciplined defender because of the principles [De La Salle] Coach Frank Allocco instilled in me."

Although high school is now in McNiff's rearview mirror, Allocco remains an influential presence. "Coach Allocco is a huge part of my life. He taught me everything I know now and I tried to play how he would want me to play each game."

He's being looked at as a shooting guard and small forward at Antelope.

McNiff is taking the challenge of moving up to the next step with a serious multi-layer training regimen. "This past year I tore my meniscus and I think it stemmed from me not being flexible. I am starting yoga and Pilates to add another dimension to my flexibility and strength." On the skills side, "I'm working with Ayinde Ubaka, a DVC assistant coach, who played at Cal and then seven years overseas. I want to prove myself as a ballhandler."

Why basketball instead of another sport for McNiff is also unique. "Growing up, I played baseball, soccer and basketball and basketball was my worst sport but the one I had the most fun doing." So hoops it was.

Two moments stand out as the best of his basketball memories. In January 2012, "I was a senior in high school and De La Salle played Archbishop Mitty and Aaron Gordon in the Martin Luther King Classic at Cal. I didn't play so I was cheering my teammates on and we won in overtime (69-62)."

The other moment: "it was two years ago in the championship game against San Jose City College in the DVC tournament. We were down the whole game but somehow we rallied, caught up and we were down by two with 12 seconds left. I visualized we were going to win and was telling that to my teammates. I shot a three and it was blocked. A teammate got the rebound and passed to Justin Yeargin at the top of the key. He passed to me and I shot a three at the buzzer which won the game. I wasn't going to miss a second opportunity."

Looking to major in criminal justice, it's a McNiff family tradition. "My parents and family have been in law enforcement."