Posted: Jul 06, 2016

McNellys and Richey Make Decision on Four-Years

Sophomores Jordan McNellys (left) and Caleb Richey (right) are the most recent Owls to make their decisions regarding four-year colleges.

Glendora, CA - Two more Citrus College Men's Basketball players have made their decisions about where they will be continuing their academic and athletic careers for the 2016-2017 season. Sophomore Jordan McNellys has signed a scholarship offer with NAIA member Bacone College, while Caleb Richey will suit up for NCAA DIII California Lutheran University.

Across two seasons, McNellys appeared in 57 total games for the Owls, including 29 starts. In just over 20.8 minutes per game, McNellys averaged eight points, on 36.7% shooting from the floor and 36.2% shooting from beyond the 3-point arc. McNellys also averaged 1.8 boards, 1.4 assists, and 1 steal a game in his Citrus career, and shot 77.1% from the charity stripe. McNellys was an All-Western State Conference South Division Honorable Mention selection as a sophomore.

"Bacone felt like a perfect fit for me. It's going to give me an opportunity to shine and show my talents," McNellys said. "Citrus has helped rebuild my confidence on and off the floor. It's given me the ability to be a leader on the court and shown me how to have faith in my abilities."

"Jordan has been a key piece of our team for the last two years and will definitely be missed. I am so happy to see Jordan's sacrifice and patience pay off with this opportunity at Bacone," said Citrus College Head Men's Basketball Coach Patrick Johnson. "His consistent attitude and effort are valuable assets to any program, and should lead to a lot of success in Oklahoma."

Richey, who transferred to Citrus as a sophomore, appeared in 29 of Citrus' 30 games this past season, tallying 28 starts. Richey averaged 9.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and a team high 4.2 assists per game this on the year. He shot 40% from the floor, 35.3% from the three, and 61.3% at the free-throw line. Richey was a Citrus College Scholar Baller this year, and was also named an All-Western State Conference South Division Honorable Mention honoree.

"I chose Cal Lutheran because I thought it was going to be a great fit for me. I've got a great relationship with [Head] Coach [Rich] Rider. Over our meetings, he talked to me about helping me succeed on and off the court, and that's what this is all about, finishing our education and preparing for the future," Richey said. "Citrus has played a big role in all of this. Coach Pat and [Assistant] Coach Kevin [Houston] taught me a lot on and off the court. They are great leaders and great coaches, and I loved playing for them. They helped me improve each and every day and pushed me in practice. They constantly encouraged me to be the best that I could be."

"Caleb overcame a lot of adversity in his journey to Citrus and made the most of his year here with a very good season. His toughness, unselfishness, and competitiveness will serve him well at the next level," Johnson said. "Cal Lutheran is a very good school and the SCIAC is a terrific conference, I'm excited for Caleb to have a lot of success there."