Lassen College basketball 2012-13 style

From Lassen College Coach Devin Aye:

This is my first year as a head coach after seven years as an assistant at the NCAA, NAIA and Junior College levels. Last year, Lassen College won only one game, and we are going to be much improved from where the program has been in previous years.

Lassen College is located in Susanville, a city of about 25,000 people and about an hours drive from both Reno and Chico. It's a very scenic location with pine trees and mountains surrounding the city.

College sports teams get front page newspaper coverage, and games get very crowded with fans. It's the closest thing in junior college basketball there is to a university feel in terms of fan support. There are nice dorms on campus as well making it even more comfortable for students from out of the area.

The men’s basketball team currently is putting on a Haunted Forest for a fundraiser in town that will be a lot of fun and generate a lot of support prior to the season tipping off.

This team is fun to be around, and they work harder than any team I have coached thus far.  I know the community will love to watch them as we shoot to win the Golden Valley Conference this year!

Here is the roster information:

* Curtis Dixon, 5-foot-10, freshman: The only local kid. He played at Lassen High School and has good feel for the game and can shoot it.

* Justin McBride, 6-foot-0, sophomore: Justin is the lone returnee from last year’s team. He's from Australia, has HIGH basketball IQ, can really shoot it and never turns it over.

* Garrick Wilson, 6-foot-0, sophomore: From Kingstree, SC, he is a t Transfer from NJCAA I Lakeland College in Illinoi and a very hard worker who is extremely athletic and can shoot it.

* Marshawn McMahan, 6-foot-1, freshman: From Compton, he played at Leuzinger High, is a very good athlete and shooter with a great basketball IQ.

* Sammy Allen, 6-foot-1, freshman: Out of Alameda HS, he sat out at CCSF last year and has made a great improvement in his work ethic and conditioning.  Sammy is better than I imagined he would be, an extremely strong, physical and competitive guard who can play any position on the floor.

* Lee Strong , 6-foot-2, freshman: From Gary, IN, Lee is a gifted scorer who is very strong, athletic and competitive. He can score anywhere on the court and was the second leading scorer in the nation out of high school. San Jose State is currently recruiting him.

* LJ Melton, 6-foot-2 freshman: Out of San Francisco, LJ has really improved since coming to Lassen College. He sat out last season at CCSF but was a big time scorer in high school and has improved his conditioning and in weight room.  LJ is a very unselfish scorer who will be a tough matchup for other teams. 

* Devin Bey, 6-foot-2, sophomore: From Kingstree, SC, Devin was an All-State selection and is a transfer from NJCAA I LakeLand College in Illinois. He has the talent to be a very good basketball player and can play multiple positions but likes to have the ball in his hands at the PG position where he can make plays.

* Josh Faughn, 6-foot-3, freshman: Out of Sacramento, he is a great kid who has a very high basketball IQ.  He has surprised with his skill set, toughness and athleticism. Josh is a player every successful team needs in that he will do anything to win.

* Leroy Anderson, 6-foot-6, freshman: From Oakland, CA. Leroy was with me last year at Chabot College where he sat out. He decided it was in his best interest to get away from the city where he could live in the dorms and be able to focus and he has improved a lot from last year.  Leroy is a very athletic slasher who can shoot, dribble, defend and rebound.

* Garrett Ford, 6-foot-6, sophomore: Out of Charlotte, NC, Garrett is a very high character young man. He is a JUMPING JACK! A big time high flyer who can be a force on the boards when he wants to be.

* Charles Jackson, 6-foot-8, freshman: From Sacramento, CA.  Charles is another player who was with me last year at Chabot sitting out.  Just like Leroy, Charles decided to get away from the city where he can live on campus and be able to focus. He has improved so much its scary! Plus, he has grown two inches and put on 40 pounds of muscle since I first saw him last year. He will continue to improve and is a great kid to be around.

Here's Coach Aye's official bio:

The 2012-13 season will be Coach Devin Aye’s first year as a collegiate head coach.  Aye has been an assistant at both the NCAA, NAIA and Community College levels for the past seven years with stints at Cosumnes River College, CSU East Bay and Chabot College.

Aye spent 2005-06 at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, California under current head coach James Giacomazzi. The team posted a 20-win season for first time in years.

Aye spent 2006-08, and 2010-12 at Chabot College in Hayward, California under future Hall of Fame coach and father Denny Aye with each team earning a state playoff berth and averaging 20 wins.

In summer of 2008, Aye was hired as full-time assistant coach at CSU East Bay under coach Will Biggs where his recruiting helped win Cal Pac Conference and Cal Pac Tournament titles for first time in school history. Aye also was responsible for recruit Tauran Moore who won Male Athlete of the Year, All American, and Cal Pac Player of the Year.

Aye played high school basketball at both Bullard High School in Fresno, CA and Marshalltown High School in Marshalltown, IA. He lettered four years on varsity as combo guard. His Marshalltown High team finished ranked #3 in the state of Iowa his junior year and lost in the state semifinals at the buzzer his senior year. Aye was an All-State honorable mention in the large school division his junior year.

Aye played collegiate basketball at San Jose City College for Hall of Fame coach Percy Carr. During his freshman year, he led the state in three-point percentage, and his team won the Coast South Conference championship.

Aye transferred to play for his father, Denny Aye, at Marshalltown Community College (MCC) where his team eventually beat the three-time defending national champions (Southeastern CC) twice, Indian Hills and #1 ranked Moberly. MCC finished with a school record 25-9 record and an NJCAA Region XI Runner-Up finish. Seven of the 10 players on the team received NCAA D-I scholarships. Aye then concluded his career due to injury.

Aye received his AA degree at Marshalltown CC in 2005, his Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology from CSU East Bay in 2008. In 2009, he completed his Masters of Science in Sport Management from California University Pennsylvania.