West Campus keeps on rolling

West Campus sounds like a nice bucolic setting, one well suited as a learning environment. It is indeed heralded for its academics, at least the one located in Sacramento is and, sooner or later, the boys basketball program is going to deservedly earn similar recognition for its on-court success.

The reasons? Try consecutive years of 19-11, then 29-6 plus 20-9 thus far and 10-2 in the Golden Empire League in the 2016-17 season under Coach Fred Wilson. The Warrior players are readied for college through the strong scholastic footing at West Campus and the development of their hoops skills in the gym.

This season, the key players for the Warriors includes just one senior:

* Eric Alston, 5-foot-8, sophomore (14.0 points, 5.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds)

* Inderpal Dhaliwal, 6-foot-2, senior (11.8 points)

* Nate Karren, 6-foot-9, junior (16.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.2 blocks)

* Harmon Khela, 6-foot-5, junior (7.7 points)

* Dee Juan Pruitt, 6-foot-6, sophomore (8.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.3 blocks)

* Quincy Taylor, 6-foot-1, freshman (9.4 points, 4.4 rebounds)

According to Wilson, "Alston will be a nice D1 guard, Dhaliwal will likely play at the NAIA level and Karren is hearing from BYU, Northern Arizona and Sacramento State among others. Taylor will play after high school and Pruitt possesses an amazing wingspan and nearly averages a double-double."

Karren has a 3.8 grade point average and is the best three-point shooter on the squad.

But it's not just the present group of Warriors ready and able to move on. Benefitting from skill development and success on the court as well as the necessary foundation to succeed in the classroom, recent West High graduates who have gone on to play college basketball include:

* guard Darien Davis, Oregon's Blue Mountain Community College

* forward Sanford Del Mar, Central Wyoming College

* guard Kevin Dent, Notre Dame de Namur

* forward Monty Khela, Colorado School of Mines

* guard Jeryn Lucas, Humboldt State

* guard Marcus Muccular, UC Santa Cruz

Plus, 6-foot-6 Isaiah Bates of the 2016 class will be back on the court after rehabilitating from an injury.

Wilson summed up the state of his program, offering "the present is bright and the future is bright." He is proving that academic achievement and athletic success can go together. The evidence is in the successful movement of his players to the collegiate level.

Someone pretty famous once said, "Truly I tell you no prophet is accepted in his hometown." The Warrior program is simply looking for greater respect for their on-going achievements. Is SacTown willing and able to do so?