College Commitments – Going Down to Cali

It's June and the majority of the Class of 2025 have wrapped up their collegiate decisions. As usual there are many who will start their college careers going the junior college route, and a number are actually headed down to California to get their athletic and academic pursuits going. We recently caught up with a number of them who recently made their commitments known.

Alonzo Hoff, Southridge to West Valley

After finishing off a senior year that saw him earn First Team All-Metro League honors and a spot on Team Oregon in the Northwest Shootout after averaging 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds, Hoff was hearing from a number of different levels of play. One of the top programs in California in West Valley was the choice, and it's one the versatile 6-foot-7 forward believes will help him advance to the next level after JC.

"At the end of the day I was looking for a school that's the best fit for me," Hoff said. "When I went down on a visit down to West Valley, they really they treated me like family. I liked all the players and all the coaches, and obviously my dad went there, but it's a whole different program. I just thought they would give me the best fit, I get two years for my development, getting stronger, bigger, and filling out my body a little bit more."

Tobias Akpan, Phoenix to Monterey Peninsula

The Skyline Conference Player of the Year and a Second Team All-State selection in 4A, Akpan will also be heading to Northern California. The strong 6-foot-5 forward will be going just south of the Bay Area to Monterey Peninsula, where his hope is to follow the path his father Tony Akpan took to Division I basketball (the senior Akpan played at Hawaii).

"I went down to Monterey for one of my sister's basketball practices, and I saw the school, I got to meet the coach, a couple of players, and I fell in love with just the environment and the community there," Akpan said. "Me and the coach talked, we saw eye to eye on a lot of things, and my dad agreed with me that that's the best place to go. I'm hoping to go there and just improve as I go forward. A big reason I picked there is because they can develop players really well. They have coaches that can get in the gym whenever you want and that's big for me - I just want to get in the gym and work."

Elijah Bryant, Crater to Shasta

Bryant put together a good season for Crater in 2024-25, averaging a team-high 13.4 points and 5.7 rebounds. His hope is that Shasta will fully prepare him for the next step of collegiate basketball, one where he hopes to get to the highest level.

"My decision to go to Shasta was a decision I took very seriously," Bryant said. "What separated Shasta from other schools was the importance the coaches put on getting their players to the next level which is the main goal. The program has come a long way and I have the upmost confidence in the team and coaching staff. I am so excited to get in the gym with these coach's and get to Redding to work!"

Mason Chambers, Mountain View to Shasta

Joining Bryant at Shasta will be Chambers, an all-IMC selection after averaging 18.7 points and 7.2 rebounds for the Cougars. The combo guard looked at a number of different options but Shasta was the right move for him.

"When I was visiting schools all the coaches were nice and happy to have me, but the coaches at Shasta were very excited and kept emphasizing how I'd fit in perfectly and how they loved my character," Chambers said. "They do a good job of getting their players to different schools after their 2 years and sometimes only 1. They compete with some great teams in California and are very competitive. They have many talented players and I saw myself as a good fit."

Jack Wheeler, Clackamas to Siskiyous

Wheeler may not have been a household name this past season at Clackamas, as he was a deep reserve. But that didn't stop the combo guard from pursuing collegiate opportunities, using film from AAU and fall ball play to submit to coaches. He made a trip to Siskiyous where he caught the attention of the staff and he'll be suiting up for them in 2025-06.

"After my visit to the school and playing in some scrimmages and a workout with the team, they were all really nice and supportive and the coach is really supportive so that lead me to my decision to commit there," Wheeler said. "I like how they run their offense and where the campus is located is a pretty nice place."

Our congratulations go out to all of these student athletes and their families on their decisions.