Hancock Men's Basketball Player Marcellus Garrick Signs with Cal Poly
With his coaches, teammates and friends on hand, Allan Hancock College men's basketball star Marcellus Garrick signed a national letter of intent to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. The college hosted a signing ceremony for the sophomore guard in Joe White Memorial Gymnasium Thursday afternoon.
"There are no words to describe how I feel," said Garrick, who grew up in South Carolina. "Cal Poly has been my dream school ever since I moved to the Central Coast. The coaches there believe in me, and think I can be a great fit. It's also an incredible school academically and will keep me close to Santa Maria, which has become my second home."
Garrick earned All-Western State Conference First Team honors after he led the Bulldogs in scoring at 15.9 points per game during the 2016-17 season. The sophomore guard shot 48 percent from the field overall and 36 percent from 3-point range. Garrick scored 10 or more points in 24 of his 29 games, including the last 13 he played.
Garrick's numbers jumped in conference play when he led all players in the league by hitting 47.5 percent of his 3-point shots, and ranked second by averaging 20.3 points per game. The 6-foot-4 Garrick enjoyed a stretch during conference play where he scored 20 or more points in five out of the team's last seven games.
"Marcellus' story is a great one," said Tyson Aye, Hancock's fourth-year head coach. "He had no full-scholarship offers out of high school and came to Allan Hancock College with a dream and a purpose. He fully believed in and trusted his coaches and did everything asked of him with an exemplary attitude and effort on the court, the weight room, and in the classroom. In doing so, he made the Dean's List this past semester, and I'm proud to say he signed with his dream school."
Garrick admitted he started to doubt himself as a Division I basketball player after his freshman season at Hancock, when he averaged 8 points and 4 rebounds per game. Rather than accept that idea, he decided to work harder and smarter in order to get to the next level. His decision paid off in a big way.
"I've never been in this position my whole life. I am very grateful for all the schools that recruited me along the way. I truly feel blessed because I know there are a lot of players out there who go unnoticed or unacknowledged," added Garrick, who said he received offers from about 10 other four-year universities.
Garrick will receive an associate degree in film and video production from Hancock next month. He plans to major in sports management at Cal Poly and cannot wait to become a Mustang and play for Cal Poly head coach Joe Callero.
"The coaches say they like the competitiveness level I bring to the team and have a chance to compete for a starting position," said Garrick, who received his offer from Cal Poly during an official visit to the campus on Monday. "I loved being in Mott Gym even when it was empty. I can't imagine what it will be like to play there when it's packed."
Garrick is the first Hancock men's basketball player to sign with Cal Poly since the Mustangs turned Division I in 1994. Coach Callero described his newest recruit as a high-energy athlete.
"Marcellus can play all perimeter positions and compete offensively and defensively," Callero said about his newest recruit. "His positive attitude and toughness will be a great compliment to our team. We're fortunate he decided to stay on the Central Coast to continue his basketball career."
Garrick became the 15th Hancock men's basketball player to sign with a four-year institution under coach Aye. Forward Dominic Jackson signed with Texas A&M International University earlier this month.
Cal Poly is expected to return three starters and nine letterwinners from last season's team that went 11-20 overall. The Mustangs ranked 20th among 347 NCAA Division I programs with just 10.7 turnovers per game under Callero, who just completed his eighth season. Cal Poly made history in 2013-14 when the Mustangs became the first and only No. 7 seed in the 40-year history of the Big West Conference Tournament to win the title. The Mustangs earned the program's NCAA Division I Tournament berth that season.
