Posted: Jul 15, 2013

Men’s Basketball Announces Five Signings

From left to right: Kerry Carter, Steven Thornton Jr., Jordan Mackie, Brent Watkins, and Kumase DeMesma will all be suiting up for four-year schools in the Fall. Photos By: Jerrika Ramirez

Glendora, CA -- The Citrus College Men's Basketball team announced five of its athletes have signed scholarship offers over the past month. Sophomores Kerry Carter and Steven Thornton Jr., who had previously committed to other schools but were released due to coaching changes, have now signed with St. Mary's College and the University of California Riverside respectively. Sophomores Jordan Mackie and Brent Watkins will be headed to Humboldt State and the University of Lethbridge, while freshman Kumase Demesma will get out early and head to Hope International University.

Carter, who was a 1st team All-WSC South selection during his sophomore campaign, becomes the second Owl in consecutive seasons to head North to suit up for the Gaels. Carter averaged a team high 20.4 points per game, to go along with 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2 steals per contest.

"St. Mary's has an established coach and program. It's a place that I can reach my full potential," Carter said. "My experience here at Citrus has been one full of growth. The last three years have helped elevate me to a level that allows to me continue on in this next step of my life. The coaching and support staff at Citrus have all helped me get here."

Thornton Jr. meanwhile will be staying somewhat local as he becomes a member of the Highlanders squad at NCAA DI, UC Riverside. Thornton Jr. was the Owls' second leading scorer averaging 15.4 points per game this past season.

"The coaching staff at UCR is great, the head coach is great. The team is cool, and the campus is beautiful," Thornton Jr. said of Riverside. "Citrus has taught me a lot about competing. They brought me back up to speed. They've helped me every step of the way, and never gave up on me."

Mackie played a big role for Citrus, appearing in 23 games along with 13 starts. Mackie averaged 8.3 points per game and was second on the team in averaging 3.3 assists per game.

"Humboldt has a real family atmosphere there, and the coaching staff wanted me just as much as I wanted to go there," Mackie said. "Citrus has played a big role in my development, mentally and physically. They've helped me understand how to play a role on a team, and helped me get back into the flow of playing team basketball after I sat out a year."

Watkins was arguably one of the most improved players in the State of California during the 2012-2013 season. After averaging just 2.4 points and 2.0 rebounds a game in only 18 appearances, Watkins made huge strides as a sophomore. In his second campaign, Watkins averaged 9.2 points and 7.0 rebounds a contest, while shooting a team high 74.8% from the floor, and 75.7% from the charity stripe.

Watkins had didn't play basketball in grade school or high school, and becomes the first Owl to accept a scholarship offer in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association where he will have three years of remaining eligibility.

"The coaching staff at Lethbridge was very welcoming, and the campus is small, which appealed to me. It's a great chance for me to continue my playing career," Watkins said. "Citrus gave me a chance to start playing. I had never played organized basketball before Citrus, and my game has improved tremendously under the coaching staff. If I hadn't gotten a chance to play here, I wouldn't be playing basketball anywhere."

Rounding out the signings is Kumase DeMesma who will have three remaining years of eligibility at NAIA's Hope International. DeMesma was a key reserve for the Owls in his freshman campaign appearing in 24 games for the Owls. In just over six minutes a game, DeMesma totaled 15 points, eight assists, and eight steals.

"I like that Hope is close to home. It's a competitive conference, and the coaching staff is great. Coach preaches family, and that's similar to what they do here at Citrus," DeMesma said. "Citrus has made me mentally tougher. It's helped strengthen the weaknesses in my game that I didn't know that I had. It's made me a stronger player, mentally and physically."

"I am extremely proud of this group of Owls. These five had unique paths, but they have all achieved the goal they set for themselves when they began at Citrus - matriculating to the next level," said Citrus College Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Victor. "They played a key role in the success of this program and are prepared to do the same at their new schools. The Citrus Family is looking forward to watching them compete with their new programs."

The five signings, brings Citrus' total signings from the 2012-2013 season to six. Sophomore Gregory Sequele signed with DePaul University earlier in the season.