Men's basketball brings three transfers into the fold
8/1/2008 4:32:46 PM
CHICO, Calif. – Chico State head men’s basketball coach Greg Clink has announced that three more players have recently committed to the program. Point guard Jay Flores is transferring from Sonoma State and due to NCAA transfer rules will be eligible to don a Wildcat uniform for the 2009-10 season. Canyon Miller is a 6-foot-3 guard from Mendocino Community College. Nick Lonnegren is a 6-4 guard from Butte College.
Flores is a 6-foot graduate of Sacramento’s Jesuit High School where he was a teammate of Rod Hawkins. He played in 24 games last season at Sonoma State and started one. In just over 19 minutes of action per game Flores averaged 3.5 points, dished out 40 assists, and grabbed 24 steals. As a prep Flores helped lead Jesuit to back-to-back section titles and a 60-8 record over his junior and senior seasons. As a senior he averaged 9.6 points and 5.3 assists per game while nailing a team-high 63 3-pointers and earning First Team All-League honors.
“Jay Flores is an extremely talented and competitive player,” said Clink. “He is someone that I watched in high school and I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to coach him.”
Miller, a two-time First Team All-Bay Valley Conference selection, finished fourth in the conference in scoring last season at 17.4 points per game. He prepped at Analy High School in Sebastopol where he averaged 14 points and four rebounds per game as a senior and was twice named First Team All-League.
“Canyon Miller is an excellent shooter with a knack for scoring the ball,” said Clink. “He is also an excellent student and is going to have a very successful career at Chico State. We feel very fortunate to have someone of his ability and character in our program.”
Lonnegren played for two seasons at Butte College before running track last season. Lonnegren averaged 14 points per game and led the Roadrunners in rebounding and 3-point percentage while earning team MVP and All-Conference honors as a sophomore during the 2006-07 season. The Minden, Nevada, product also earned Golden Valley Conference track titles in the 400-meters and high jump while at Butte.
“Nick Lonnegren adds a lot of athleticism to our program and he has the ability to defend a variety of different positions,” said Clink. “We look forward to the toughness and competitiveness that Nick is going to bring to the floor.”
The Wildcats will open Clink’s tenure with an exhibition game at the University of San Francisco on Nov. 1. They open their regular season schedule at the Elgin Baylor Classic at Seattle University against the host Redhawks on Nov. 15, and open the home half of their campaign with the Mac Martin Invitational Nov. 28-29.