The San Diego Christian College men’s basketball team has announced the signing of four players for the 2013-14 school year, featuring the addition of and former San Diego County prep standout Tyler Cross.
The San Diego Christian College men’s basketball team has announced the signing of four players for the 2013-14 school year, featuring the addition of and former San Diego County prep standout Tyler Cross.
“I am really excited about the athletes we have signed because they bring a little bit of everything to the table,” said SDCC head coach Tim Cook. “The first thing we do when recruiting is try to identify the right fit for the institution and find students with Christ-like character. Second, we have to identify talent, skill, and adaptability to our system.”
“The keys for my scheme are the point guard position and a trail four-an. We have addressed those positions for the next four years. I could not be happier with the direction of our program on and off the court.”
Cross, a San Diego native and graduate of Horizon Christian is transferring to SDCC from the Air Force Academy. During his time at Horizon, Cross was highly decorated, including being named to the 2010-11 All-CIF San Diego Section Boys Basketball First-Team.
Cross, who averaged 18.4 points per game and 13.6 rebounds per game as a senior, comes to SDCC with four years of eligibility.
The Hawks also inked Mark Eden. Derek King and Michael Lambert.
Eden recently wrapped up his senior season at Don Lugo High School in Chino Hills, averaging 21 points per game, 7 assists per game, and 3 steals per game. In addition, Eden was named to the First-Team All Mt. Baldy League.
King comes to SDCC via La Jolla Prep, a non-CIF school, after completing his high school career at Santa Teresa High in San Jose. King scored 14.1 points per game while hauling in nearly four rebounds per game during his senior season.
Lambert, a native of Irvine, is a 2009 graduate of Woodbridge High. During his senior season, Lambert averaged 10.1 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game. After grey-shirting at Irvine Valley College in 09-10, Lambert played for Orange Coast College (Costa Mesa) during the 2010-2011 season and has three years of eligibility remaining.
“For us, it is all about recruiting,” said Cook. “We evaluate talent from all around the country and internationally, and then we focus on character of the athlete to see if they are a good fit for us. The high quality of character of these athletes will make the institution proud.”
“It is true that it takes 3-5 years to build a program,” continued Cook. “We have had some great history with conference championships and Final Four appearances, but have also had some lulls. Recruiting high caliber athletes will help us get back to that high level of play. “
