UCSB's announcement of Jalen Canty's signing

UCSB Signs Standout Post Player Jalen Canty to National Letter of Intent

Center Jalen Canty, the State Player of the Year from City College of San Francisco, has signed a National Letter of Intent to finish his college career at UC Santa Barbara, head coach Bob Williams announced Thursday. Canty, who was the 2016 California Community College Athletic Association Tournament MVP, will have two years of eligibility with the Gauchos.

Canty, a powerful 6-foot-8, 245-pound post player, led CCSF to a 32-1 record and the 2016 CCCAA state championship. The Rams ended the season with a 25-game winning streak that culminated with a 68-57 win over Saddleback College in the state title game. Despite playing just 22 minutes per game, Canty paced CCSF with 13.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He also blocked a team-high 113 shots.

In five CCCAA tourney games, the native of Vallejo, Calif., and graduate of St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School, averaged 13.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game. He also hit 64.5% of his field goal attempts.

"Jalen was clearly the best low-post option out there and we are extremely excited to add him to our team," Williams said. "After losing (Sam) Beeler and (Mitch) Brewe, we needed a legitimate low-post player who has great experience and Jalen is that guy."

As a senior at St. Patrick-St. Vincent, Canty averaged 25.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. As a junior, he played in all 28 of his team's games and finished the season at 18.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots while shooting 56.0% from the field. As a sophomore, Canty averaged 13.6 points and 12.6 rebounds in 32 games.

"The team felt like a family there," Canty told the Vallejo Times-Herald. "They have a coach that has been there a while, so I don't have to worry about there being a coaching change while I'm there. The campus is nice and I liked the beach-like vibe. I'm committed to the team and I think there is a lot of new talent there on the rise."

Upon his arrival in Santa Barbara, Canty will be reunited with his former AAU teammate, Gabe Vincent. The two played together as members of the Oakland Soldiers.

"The opportunity for Jalen to be reunited with Gabe Vincent was a big reason that he came here," Williams said. "We are very glad that we are able to make that reunion possible."

In addition to his basketball abilities, Canty was a star football player in high school and originally signed a National Letter of Intent to play defensive end at Washington State. As a senior at St. Patrick-St. Vincent, he led the team with 79 tackles and was named the Vallejo Times-Herald Defensive Player of the Year.

Canty is the fourth player to sign a National Letter of Intent with UCSB this year. During the November signing period, the Gauchos signed combination guard Christian Terrell (Sacramento High School), point guard Max Heidegger (Oaks Christian High School in Thousand Oaks, Calif.) and forward Felix White (Besant Hill High School in Ojai, Calif.).